I was sitting in a little café in Malibu looking out over the Pacific Ocean when I saw him chatting with someone at another table.
Yes, I realize that doesn’t sound like something I would ever experience or write but I really did. I’ll tell you in a moment about who it was I saw.
In days long gone, I was a sales manager and I was working with one of my sales reps in southern California. We were driving through Malibu and I told the rep I wanted to have lunch there just so I could say I did. We found a nice little restaurant with an amazing patio and an even more amazing view.
At the time, the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond was the hottest show on television and was my favorite show to watch and I did so on a regular basis. I loved the show so much that I would often get season DVD sets for Christmas or birthday gifts.
Now, at this point, you may be thinking that the person I saw was Ray Romano or Brad Garrett who played the two brothers on the show. Unfortunately, it wasn’t either of them. The guy I saw was Phil Rosenthal, the creator, writer, and executive producer of the show. Not Ray or Brad but still pretty cool. Phil holds a unique position in my mind as the only creator, writer and executive producer of anything that I could ever pick out of a line up.
When I spotted Phil I immediately pointed him out to the gentlemen I was with. He said he would never have known that but was a big fan of the show and found this celebrity spotting to be of mild interest.
Out in the car was my computer bag with one of those DVD packs with one of the seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond. This was in the days of the portable dvd players and I always brought it with when I flew so I could watch a movie or some episodes of Raymond to pass the time on a flight.
Immediately, I thought I should run out to the car and bring it in and have him autograph it. Now, I’m not a big autograph guy but this would have been pretty cool and made for a neat story. Unfortunately, fear stepped in and took control of the conversation in my head. “Don’t do that. That would be rude. He won’t sign it. He’ll just brush you off and tell you to leave him alone. Who are you to be asking someone like him for an autograph? Only losers ask for autographs.”
Fear won that day. After lunch, we weren’t five minutes down the road when regret appeared. All I had to do was ask. Any number of scenarios could have happened after the ask. I never considered the scenarios where he simply said yes and signed the dvd box. The only scenarios I considered were the ones where he said no, got angry and brushed me off.
Opportunities for courage show up on a regular basis. We just need to be open to their appearance. If those appearances bring you discomfort, recognize that is fear and an opportunity for courage. Sometimes it is as simple as asking for an autograph.
Maybe you won’t get what you’re asking for but at least you’ll know and you won’t live in regret and disappointment for the rest of your life.
No, this regretful event doesn’t affect me on a daily basis. I only thought of it when I opened up the tv cabinet looking for another dvd. When I saw the Raymond dvds it immediately brought back this story. All I had to do was ask. I didn’t. I still regret it.
What are you missing out on because you are choosing fear over courage? All you have to do is ask! You never know what will happen. If you don’t ask, you’ll always know what will happen!
Choose courage over fear today!
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS Day!
Looking for a speaker for an upcoming event? I’d love to be that guy. You can reach me at dave@cultivatecourage.com or 952-200-7499.
You can now buy the book “Cultivate Courage” on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2N2PBVJ
