Have you ever had lunch with Mickey Mouse? I bet there are a few of you out there that are nodding your head yes – thinking I did have lunch with Mickey the last time I took my kids to disney… For those of you who said yes – you were fooled. You did not have lunch with Mickey Mouse – you had lunch with some young kid dressed up and sweating in a Mickey Mouse costume. Yet, you were under the impression that you did lunch with Mickey.
I want to think of a time when you had an appointment with a big client or some person you held in high esteem, someone whom you were really intimidated by because of your impression of who they were. Now, I want you to think of how the Mickey Mouse analogy applies…
This person whom you were or are intimidated by, likely puts his/her pants on one leg at a time. They have likely had their own business and interpersonal challenges and they probably even eat regular human food. But think of how the story we create about such people can get in the way of our best game. So many thoughts of inferiority enter the mind that totally get in the way of truly connecting to that individual.
As a business coach who coaches financial advisors, I have a distinct advantage in working with high-level people; people who have accomplished great things in their lives. The advantage that I have is that I get to see inside these people, not with x-ray vision, but by them sharing their greatest vulnerabilities – and they ALL have them. It’s fascinating to me that I can talk to someone who has not only reached a level of financial success, but who has also been personal friends with celebrities, presidents and business icons. They too have tremendous insecurities. The difference is that they learned to manage those insecurities.
So back to Mickey Mouse… how does this apply? Watch your kids as they react to being in the presence of Mickey Mouse. Notice how enamered they are when they see Mickey. Now, you know that it is just a sweaty, young insecure kid inside pretending to be Mickey Mouse, but your kids don’t realize that (and who are you to spoil their dreams). Now, go back to the person you are intimidated by. I’m here to tell you that the same sweaty, insecure young child also lives in them. Imagine them in a Mickey Mouse suit instead of the wealthy businessman suit – how does this shift the way you relate to him/her? This person is human just like you and I – now go out and relate to them as a human – not as the icon, Mickey Mouse.
