“He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.”
~Raymond Hull
I recently attended a concert by an up and coming country singer, Kip Moore. He told the story of how early in his career a certain record label executive wanted to “spiff him up” with more of a clean cut image rather than his rougher, down home look. He talked about thanking the executive, wishing him the best, and walking out of the meeting. My first thought was how incredibly brave that was and how at a young age he truly had a sense of who he was. My second thought was, “that was crazy!” How many people would risk their “big break” over a few minor things like clothes? The truth was, however, that he felt it was MORE of a risk turning away from what he was at the core of his being.
What are you be willing to risk in order to stay true to who you are and your values? We all are faced each day with choices in our professional and personal lives. Sometimes these choices line up with who we are, sometimes they don’t. While risk is scary, many times it’s what we need to pass through to get to the other side where our dreams and goals await.
A great end to the story… Kip worked his way up from the dive bars, to opening acts, to now being the main headliner in concerts around the country. Oh, and he ended up with a great song based on the record executive!
Wishes to you for a beautiful day!
