Play and Act The Part
Play and Act The Part
ByI was watching a favorite sitcom of mine, My Wife and Kids on TV the other day. I happened to turn it on and there was an episode where, the son of the household, Michael Kyle Jr., took an S.A.T test at school.
If you watch the show, you know that Michael Kyle Jr.’s character (or Jr. as they call him) isn’t one of the brightest characters around. Some might even say his elevator doesn’t rise all the way to the top.
Photo by Newton Free LibraryWell Jr. came home with a perfect score on the S.A.Ts. After seeing this, it changed his parent’s perspective over him. They began to re-evaluate his intellect and his humor over the years and place a sense of high validation on him, based on his test score.
His father began to treat him as though he was a genius. And most importantly, Jr. began to act like a genius. Instead of going around making crazy off the wall statements, like he usually does, he began to apply himself to small tasks around the house based on the validation he was receiving from his parents.
Then one day, the mother got a call from the school stating that the school staff made an error and mismatched Jr.’s test score with another student’s score. Instead of receiving a perfect score on the S.A.Ts, he received a very low score.
After hearing this, Jr. began to mope around and feel sorry for himself. When he thought he had a perfect score on the test it changed his own perception of himself. The perfect test score gave him more confidence in himself.
This story makes a great point because, many times we allow external happenings to dictate who we are. Like Jr., it was out of the norm for his character to make such a high score, but after making such an achievement, he began to act like a genius. He then began to do and say things that geniuses say.
How often do you let the things around you dictate who you are? Do you wait until you receive external validation before you began to do and act like you’re a success, or do you step out confidently and boldly and fill the part before hand?
Don’t let external happenings dictate who you are and what you do. If your goal is to become the world’s greatest artist, speak it over yourself in the beginning stages. Play and act the part.
There’s a great saying, “You have to fake it to make it.” In most cases experts would advise you against such. I would agree. They would tell you to be who you are or Keep It Real. However in this context I would agree that, Yes, play the role of such and you will not only change others perception of you, but most importantly you will change your own perception of who you are. Remember, you teach others how to treat you. Play and act the part of whatever you desire as you charge forth on your journey of life.
Related Posts
Author: Jarrod Clark (478 Articles)
Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Jarrod Clark, author and founder of OptimisticJourney.com and my goal for this blog is to provide inspirational messages for maintaining an optimistic outlook on life. To find out more about me, check out the About Jarrod tab at the top of the page and if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me! Thanks!
that’s one important point, depending on external factors to make us feel worthy might slow us down and even lower our self confidence. thanks Jarrod
hi jarrod,
how are you?
i absolutely love the show my wife and kids and has watched that series several times lol!!
you ask important questions here and there’s a need to understand there’s a place and time for external validation but it shouldnt be the only factor which determines who or what we are constructively.
in rare instances external validation sometimes leads to people being manipulated to conform to certain standards or lifestyles not ideal for them.
have a lovely day
take care
Well, I must say I am a firm believer in faking it until making it. While staying true to myself, if a change is desired then playing the part, having the mindset, is of utmost importance to my achievements.
You have a wonderful site, Jarrod! I will add you to my visit list. See you next time!
Hi Jarrod, I’ve never seen the show but I enjoyed how you told the story here. You drive your point home beautifully with this: “Remember, you teach others how to treat you.”
It’s a challenge for many of us to remember this. We apologize, we downplay our strengths, we play small because we don’t want to alienate others, or appear full of ourselves or want to blend in. Unfortunately, folks almost never take the time to find out how special we are. They take cues from us and will pretty much treat us in the same manner that we treat ourselves.
Thanks for reminding us that we have a huge say in how the world sees us.
@Farouk – Thank you for stopping by and contributing!
@Ayo – I am doing fine! How are ya? Thanks for stopping by!
@Lisa – Welcome! Glad you stopped by! I love your site too!!!
@Belinda – It’s a lovely show, I believe it comes on ABC Family channel during the day. You may have to check your local listings. But yes I always say “you teach others how to treat you.” We have to take care of ourselves! Thanks for stopping by!
I so enjoyed reading this post. I remember the episode that you are speaking about in your post.
Many times we allow others to validate who we are, when all the while, it is not what others think, it is what we think about ourselves that truly makes the difference.
I told a friend a few days ago, “Don’t let other peoples actions determine your reactions.” That is something I try to keep in the forefront of my mind daily.
Take care!
Evelyn
@Evelyn – Welcome! I like that “Don’t let other people’s actions determine your reactions.” Absolutely! We need to be the catalyst for our own actions. Thanks for sharing!!