By the time we hit day 3 of my event, it’s just totally ON.
The level of participation and energy people bring just keeps intensifying, even though we’ve had a couple of long days where we’ve worked our tails off.
I always start the event by saying that we’re going to fight for each other—fight for the man or woman at your shoulder—because we’re all in it together. It’s our job to make sure that whoever is sitting or standing beside us is getting better. In the context of my event, that means we’re fighting and supporting one another as we unlock our stories and learn how to express them in a way that moves the needle; that makes a tangible difference in the way we work and live.
But my real intention behind asking everyone to play for one another goes beyond speaking and storytelling. I just think it’s our job, as human beings, to fight for one another’s dreams. So that’s what I’m asking (and really demanding) of everyone who comes to play with me.
One of my most visceral memories of playing in the NFL was a sign posted inside the locker rooms of all the teams I played for and against. All it said was:
“Players Only Beyond This Point. Absolutely No Admittance.”
Simple words, right? What’s the message? You’ve got to earn your way into that room. When a new group walks into the theater where I hold my event, they face this same sign. There’s only one way to get into the room: You’ve got to be a player.
