Association Need Help? 850-547-0102 - Ronnie 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® The Un-Comfort Zone II by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. Living Your Most Authentic Life When I first started speaking professionally I would open every speech with five to ten minutes of comedy. I did this partly because I enjoy making people laugh, but more so because I didn’t feel my speeches offered enough value without it for me to be paid. In other words, I didn’t believe I was good enough. Then a client said to me, “Your opening is funny, but it’s not necessary; your core message is very powerful and the best thing you have to say.” It didn’t happen right away, but eventually I came to realize she was right, my message could stand on its own, and I didn’t need to dress it up in humor. It was back in high school I created my funny guy persona. I would make humorous quips in class to get my classmates to laugh, but not often enough to irritate the teachers (I wanted them to like me too). I thought it would make me popular, or at least immune to bullying. I thought it was working, but what actually made me popular was showing interest in people when I talked with them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see it at the time, so I continued with the funny guy persona for many years. Okay, I still do it, but I’m finally coming to an understanding of why. It’s all part of my persona to be a people pleaser. My mother raised me that way. She was narcissistic and demanded a lot of attention, and when she didn’t get her way, she made everyone around her miserable. No one was allowed to have emotions but Mother. I wasn’t allowed to be angry Wilson Cont’d on page 20.
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