Your Own Reality Show

You are the main char­ac­ter in your very own real­ity pro­gram. Real­ity shows began pick­ing up view­ers a decade or so ago. No mat­ter how well movies or TV seri­als are made, it is real­ity that fas­ci­nates us most. What would YOU do if you were stranded on a deserted island for six weeks? Would you sur­vive? What if you had to coop­er­ate with oth­ers that do not like you? What if there was a cam­era watch­ing your every move? Would you be heroic or cowardly?

We answer these ques­tions each day that we live. We are the main char­ac­ter in our own real­ity show. Like all good real­ity shows, we have lim­i­ta­tions, obsta­cles, dif­fi­cult cir­cum­stances, and peo­ple that want us to fail. Some­where out there we also have at least a few fans that cheer us on toward some sort of vic­tory. Deep down inside we have to find the courage and the sta­mina to see the test through to the end.

Do you have a name for your show? Mine would be some­thing like: “Social Pres­sure Sur­vivor” or “Job Over­load Champion” — maybe even “Earth­mas­ter Marathon Man.” (You have to really get into this in a big way.) Yours might be “Sur­vivor Mom” or “Hero Dad.” Let’s face it, you are in a test that lasts longer than a thirty-two week TV season.

Can you han­dle depri­va­tion? Are you able to keep faith in your­self when the group is plan­ning to oust you? Will you hold your head up high when excluded? Do you have secret sur­vival strate­gies? Most impor­tantly: Are you plan­ning to win?

Per­son­ally, I am hav­ing fun with my very own real­ity show. It is com­plex. The chal­lenges never cease. Every so often there is a new twist. I wear down. Fatigue becomes a key fac­tor. I have to find enough soul to believe in myself and go it alone if and when necessary.

I hope you are hav­ing fun in your real­ity pro­gram. Play to win — if not for oth­ers then cer­tainly for your­self. You are in it to see what makes you YOU!