Here’s your weekly curiosity experiment:

As I prepare to fly to the “Keep it Weird” capital, Austin, Texas, to speak at South by Southwest, I am revisiting my “pre-game” (or if you prefer, “pre-show”) routine. After many years as a performing musician, and then a facilitator and public speaker, I never stopped getting butterflies when going before a large group… until a couple of years ago, when I shifted my focus.

Now, instead of psyching myself up and running through my material one last time, I simply do this: I ground myself in my connection to the earth. I set an intention that whatever comes through me serve the highest for all present. And I lead with gratitude for the time and attention of those present.

Service, not performance. Gratitude, not attention-seeking. Grounding down, not amping up. It made all the difference in the world.

What’s your version of the big game or show?
What’s your “pre-game” ritual?
How does it serve you?