On being nervous

James Taylor and Stephen Colbert. Both seasoned professionals. Both skilled performers.

Both still get nervous.

A few resonant lines from an August 4, 2022 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and some reflections.

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James Taylor: “Ninety percent of show business is how you look when you’re nervous.”

We don’t always eliminate nervousness. We often carry it with us. We work through it. The goal isn’t to not be nervous. The goal is to perform well regardless.

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Stephen Colbert: “I’m nervous every night before I come out — because I know how it should play up here.“ [points to head]

We know what good looks like. We know how we want to show up. We care. But we also know there’s often a gap between our vision and what happens in the real world. That potential deficit can cause plenty of worry.

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James Taylor: “You want to be either in the moment or slightly ahead of it. You want to be thinking about what you were about to do — and not what you just did.”

All we have is what’s now and what’s next. Dwelling on what just happened comes at the expense of our ability to prepare for the next thing. When we lean slightly forward, we can craft a beautiful present moment.

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(Thanks to my friend, Kayle, who pointed me to the segment.)