#984 Springsteen Says: “I’m Excited!”

Epic Wisdom from The Boss

A couple +1s ago, I briefly mentioned the fact that Marie Forleo is the one who introduced me to the idea of “’Friend Power.” (Thanks, Marie!)

Flip open to page 105 of her surprisingly GREAT (!) book Everything Is Figureoutable and here’s what you’ll find in her chapter on “How to Deal with the Fear of Anything.”

Legend has it that when Bruce Springsteen is about to go onstage in stadiums full of screaming fans, the Boss feels a host of physical sensations in his body:

Just before I go onstage my heart beats a little faster . . . my hands sweat a little . . . my legs go numb as if I’m getting pins and needles . . . and then I get a tight feeling in the pit of my stomach that starts to spin round and round . . . When I get all those feelings, I know I’m excited, pumped up and ready to go onstage.

Fascinating, right? Springsteen interprets those body sensations as a sign of readiness, not a sign that he’s afraid, anxious, or incompetent. He’s chosen to believe that the vibrations and sensations in his physical vessel are telling him he’s prepared to give his fans a legendary performance. He’s chosen an interpretation that serves him.

Isn’t that amazing?!

Imagine being Springsteen backstage. Your hands get sweaty. Your heart starts beating faster. Your legs even go numb as your stomach starts to spin.

Then what?

Then you go all Boss on yourself, smile, and know you’re simply EXCITED and ready to rock!

(Laughing.)

If that isn’t the perfect demonstration of the whole “I’m excited!” research we’ve talked about so many times, I don’t know what is.

Marie’s point in this section? We CHOOSE the meaning we give to EVERYTHING. As she says: “Nothing has any meaning besides the meaning we give it.

So…

We might as well choose the most empowering meaning we give to whatever’s going on in our lives, eh?

Whether that’s the sweaty palms before a talk or the speed bump in a creative project.

What meaning are YOU giving all those little moments?

Here’s to choosing wisely, Boss.

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