It’s hard to believe that once upon a time Barbara Walters wasn’t BARBARA WALTERS: a force to be reckoned with, but simply Barbara Walters: girl with an uncertain future. This month we’re reading Walter’s memoir Audition, with the hope of understanding how this legendary television journalist overcame the obstacles in her life and eventually reached her dreams.
As it turns out, Barbara Walters, who is said to be the most important woman in the history of television, started out like so many of us: lost, insecure and full of fear. “I entered my senior year of college with some trepidation. All my friends seemed to know exactly what they were going to do after graduation. Anita was going to work in an art gallery. Joan was going to be a social worker. Other friends were going to graduate school or to Europe. That left me. What was I going to do with my life? My problem was that there was nothing I really wanted to do, and nothing that I thought I was particularly good at.”
How many of us have felt this way at one point or another? I know I have. But to think that a legend like Barabara Walters once felt this way too is sort of a relief. Phew, you don’t have to have it all figured out at 20 years old! Or even 30, or 40, or 50…!
So what did Barbara end up doing after she graduated from Sarah Lawrence? If you’re thinking she went right into television or journalism, think again. After graduation, Barbara enrolled in speedwriting school. Yep, speedwriting school. Obviously, this wasn’t her destiny or even a particularly meaningful experience in her life. But what it was, was a random life experience that taught her a skill that would later be incredibly useful to her as a journalist.
Another random life experience that turned out to be valuable to Walters was moving around a lot as a child. Though she resented constantly changing schools and having to make new friends, she later realized that doing so gave her the ability to adapt to different situations and connect with people in a way that helped her shine as an interviewer.
Sometimes, in life, it’s not clear why we’re in the job we’re in or why things have worked out a certain way. But I’ve found, and as Walters demonstrates, there’s always a lesson to be learned, even in the most mundane or unpleasant times in our lives. If you take a look at your own life, I’m sure that you can probably identify your own set of “random life experiences” that helped you develop key skills that have come in handy later on.
One of mine was being active in drama club when I was in junior high. Being on stage and delivering lines gave me a huge leg up when I later when into pharmaceutical sales and had to stand up in front of my peers and superiors and deliver a full sales call. Not only could I memorize monologues full of clinical data (which was a huge feat, considering I was never much of a science buff) but I could deliver it in a way that was interesting to listen to. Those experiences kept building on themselves, which later helped me take on a variety of new business development roles in my career. Eventually, all of these random life experiences gave me the courage to sign up for a Pitch Slam last year, where I pitched my first book to agents in three minutes or less. Yes, it was still terrifying but you can imagine how thrilled I was when six of the seven agents I pitched requested my manuscript! Public speaking is known to be feared more than death, which is why I’m so happy that some of my random life experiences have helped me develop this important skill. Not only has it been key to my professional career, but it will be essential as I continue to pursue my writing dream.
Conversation starter: What random life experiences have helped you develop the skills needed to chase your dream?
Read along! This month we’re reading Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters.
