Ego?

When most of us hear the word Ego we think of it in negative terms. As in that person has a lot of Ego or thinks very highly of himself. The definition of Ego is “a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance.” In many jobs or careers a certain amount of Ego is required especially for athletes, entertainers, thespians, musicians and media folks. It takes a healthy does of self-esteem to put yourself in front of a crowd and perform anything, but also it needs to be within reason and not in a bragging way. Having been raised around artists, musicians and media types most of my life I have seen the good the bad in this area. In Las Vegas we got our share of TV stars coming in for events. I found it interesting the performers that had been around for a while and were more experienced were the humblest. While the younger TV stars were more impressed with themselves and expected others to be also. I never envied the “handlers” that were hired by the networks or syndicators and had to keep the talent in line and make certain they arrived at the events and client lunches on time! Nashville has given me another perspective. We don’t receive as many television stars here, since it isn’t located next to LA as Vegas was, but we make up for it in highly talented musical artists. Thirty years ago, Nashville was only thought of as a domain for Country music but today we have music artists from rock, blues, Americana, soul and bluegrass besides country! I have been very fortunate in my meetings of and interviews with musical artists that virtually all of them have kept their egos in check. Sure, some of them have a large entourage or a pushy publicist, but the musical artists themselves are nice as could be. Anyone can have a bad day and come across as an egomaniac, but we are all human. Something that Nashvillians do especially well is give artists their space to let them shop, grab a Starbucks and enjoy a meal just like all the rest of us. It might be because of the quantity of music artists that we have living here that we don’t take special notice of them either. When you put a Star in a ball cap or a t-shirts and jeans it is hard to distinguish them from the general public. Now once they have their stage clothes on it is much easier to recognize them as they prepare to entertain. A dose of ego isn’t a bad thing if it gives us the confidence to try things that are bigger or bolder than we might otherwise try. But where it must be kept in check is how we treat others and that we always remember where we came from and how we were brought up. Artists that impress me the most are ones that take time for their fans and remember that they wouldn’t have a publicly lived career without fans and supporters. John Lennon said,” Part of me suspects I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.” Sometimes the ego or the façade that we put out to others and to the public is a kind of shield since we all have inner doubts about ourselves and our abilities. But sometimes with great success comes over confidence and the believe that we are better or greater than others and we are obviously not! The people I have come into contact with that I would consider egomaniacs are those that only have yes people surrounding them and no true friends or family to ground them. No matter how many people come to their concerts, buy their music or watch their TV shows – none of it lasts forever. Being humbled from time to time is good for all of us, like carrying out the garbage or repairing a toilet. There is also nothing wrong in having a bit of ego or pride in what we do if it is kept in check and not boastful. Like many things in life it is all about balance and moderation!

Bright lights, cameras and microphones!