The Lady's Got Potential

Please forgive the "Evita" reference in the title - I couldn't help myself. I’m currently reading “Bossypants” by Tina Fey – I love reading memoirs by powerful, smart women. Kelly Cutrone, Ivanka Trump, Tina Fey; all of these women have the common factor of great success, so I read their books hoping their ambitions and motivations will hop off my Kindle and into the section of the brain that gets things done. Of course, reading their words is only the first baby step. I doubt Hillary Clinton or Condoleezza Rice got to where they are today by reading lots of books about other accomplished women – they went out into the world to write their own stories (both of which have 352 pages each in their Hardcover books. Do you think Condi was trying to one up Hil?) Anyway, I always get the urge to go out and change the world after reading a good memoir about working your way to the top. They also make me feel like I’m not doing enough (in a “push yourself harder” way). Kelly lived in the crack den that was Times Square in the early 90’s sleeping on the couches of people she hardly knew. Ivanka, with the Trump name in tow, got her MBA from Wharton, and Tina, well, we know all that Tina has done and continues to do (She’s my favorite “Hollywood”, although I would call her much more New York, lady of the moment).

At the end of one of the chapters of “Bossypants,” Tina writes after “stealing” an office job from a coworker, “That makes me sound like a jerk, I know. But remember the beginning of the story where I was the underdog? No? Me either.” The minute I read that quick paragraph, I knew I needed to write about it. Because although I’ve haven’t come to the point where I have stolen a job from a co-worker, I’m sure the day will come. It’s all in the nature of the business. I was watching an episode of Dexter last night that was titled “Take it!” The episode focused on going after what you want in order to make yourself whole. I then watched Modern Family (I know, too much TV), and Claire gave a quick speech about how you should grab what you want and not worry about the consequences. I felt like God was sending me some sort of message. Your desires are there for the taking, but the “winners” in life are those who do what they need to in order to get ahead. Now, I won’t be killing anyone or doing any unsavory “favors” anytime soon, but I like the determination of not letting setbacks, people or situations stand in your way.

What I want is success. And I intend to achieve it. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the next Tina and write/produce/star in a hit NBC show; Maybe I’ll start a PR firm like Kelly; Maybe I’ll get into Real Estate and market towering buildings to Dubai like Ivanka; Maybe I’ll become Editor in Chief of a major fashion magazine where people write books that turn into movies about me like Anna; Maybe I’ll run for President someday like Hillary (hopefully without the philandering husband by my side). Either way, I won’t be sitting in a cube for the rest of my life inputting numbers into a spread sheet. I see now that realizing your full potential is the ultimate form of liberation.

I hope all of you will also figure out what you want out of life and take it. I would rather have an entire planet of ambitious freaks than lazy couch dwellers living in their parent’s basement at the age of 30. Work hard, save money, spend it on things you want whether it be schooling, traveling, cameras, computers. Take the time to evaluate yourself and then go for it. What’s the worse that can happen? You fail a few times - That’s a million times better than doing nothing at all.