Before I go any further, watch these two videos that will set the context for this article. While there is a chance that this may be staged, the point is to focus on the lesson on not on winning a debate that will lead to nothing.

Video #1: Pumpcast News, Part 1 – The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

This is a short video (5 minutes) where Jack Rafferty surprises a cool couple (husband is a bartender and wife is a fitness instructor)

Video #2: Pumpcast News, Part 2 – Happy Couple on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Jay Leno invites the happy couple from the Pumpcast News to play with the band

While the entire thing was pure fun and entertainment, there are a couple of lessons to be learned from this. The key ones for me are:

1. Are you ready to do something special?

Opportunities don’t come packaged and delivered on a set date. They come abruptly and out of the blue. You rarely can capitalize on them unless you are ready for them – meaning you should have invested enough in yourself such that a moment’s notice is all that’s required to bloom. As we both know, it’s never the lack of opportunities but the lack of preparedness to capitalize on opportunities that are passing by.

2. Being comfortable with who you are

Yes, it is difficult to be like someone else but it’s harder to be just YOU. It was very clear that the couple were super comfortable with who they were. What you need to be careful is not to confuse “being comfortable with who you are” with “complacence.” The world where we live requires you to be moving fast just to stay where you are.

3. Small wins are cool (sometimes they lead to bigger wins)

Notice how this all started – Jack Rafferty offers the husband free tank of gas if he sings. That “small win” was more than enough for the husband (and later his wife) to sing his heart out. Of course, the big win was to get on the Jay Leno show but that was not the reason for both the husband and wife to participate in the “game”

Have a great week ahead.