We’ve been back in Orlando about a week – still have boxes everywhere, but are slowly reclaiming our home and southern life! We expect the office to be fully up and running by Monday – and big news – we will be announcing the release date for the latest Marcus book “Everyday Inspiration!” Stay tuned and be sure you’re following us on twitter and facebook cause we’re gonna start off with a BANG and you want to get you hands on this book quickly – and sooooooo cheap you won’t believe it! 🙂 okay – Shameless plug completed.

This past week we had the extreme privilege of being guests at the Ultimate Life Conference 2012 held at the Gaylord Palms and hosted by Dr. David and Christine Martin. There were so many wonderful speakers. We we taking notes like crazy and buying books and tapes – so excited to be learning and growing. It was our first time to experience the dyno of Dr. Sam Chand and WOW! We are still talking about it. If you get a chance to hear him or get his material – do it! It’s life-changing stuff! Oh – and they present Marcus with his very own Bobble-head Doll! Isn’t this awesome!! 

So after the conference ended, they had a red carpet where they videoed guests talking about what the conference had meant to them. Watching a few of this before it was our turn gave me an idea. I’m rather famous around my circles for these ideas – also called my “Lucy moments.”

See, I ALWAYS have an idea. Not always a good one – but I have plenty of them! So realizing this was going to be used to promote this event next year I decided doing a funny interview would give the editing team some options on creating a unique collage with variety – right?? Makes sense right?? As we’re walking toward the mic I whisper to Marcus – let’s do this funny – follow my lead! In retrospect perhaps I should have paid more attention to his arm stiffening and his head shaking and then him uttering “nnoooo” in slow motion. Somehow I managed to block out all those signs until it was too late!

I get the mic, wink at the director and promise – “this will be good!” As I smile brightly at the camera I start off with “We are so happy to be here! Marcus, isn’t the Gaylord Beautiful?” Throwing my smart-sexy-quick on his feet-husband a soft ball. But no. He responds with, “Yes.” Insert crickets.

Now in a case like this my response is usually to get nervous – and then instead of shutting up I try harder. So I reach for another joke. And again – bland dead response. Surely he doesn’t understand where I’m going – so I stretch for the high note of jokes and again – crickets. I put on my brave face and babble something about what a lovely time we had and begged please don’t use any of this footage and left the area as quickly as possible. Mortified!

Now Marcus has the best sense of humor of almost anyone I know! He always has a joke and is soooo funny under pressure. I mean this guy does live Q&A all across the country with a multitude of different audiences and always, always knocks it out of the ball bark. What happened?

So over lunch I asked him. “Marc, can you help me understand why when I pull a “Lucy” move – instead of being my Ethel or Ricky – you turn into Fred?”

His response?

“I don’t know those people –

who are you talking about –

who’s Fred?”

After the shock, I firmly reminded my younger husband that I only ever watched I Love Lucy in reruns and still – how could he possibly not know these four iconic characters?!?

Then I realized what went wrong with my Lucy moment – Marcus was simply on a completely different channel. I didn’t enjoy being left “hanging out to dry” like that (please erase that video Dan!) but he didn’t enjoy being told to be funny on my cue. Fair enough.

Often when

someone doesn’t

respond

the way we expect we take it personally – usually as an insult. But many times it’s really that person’s internal dialogue causing them to react (or not react) the way we’d like.

Talking to them can lead to enlightenment & understanding.

And help avoid wasting time being offended or upset.

So, while I’m sure I’ll continue to have “Lucy” moments – I’ll have to give Marcus some more lag time.

Or teach Garrett to go along with me… he’s quite a ham you know! 🙂

Hmm…. now there’s an idea…….. Peace!