“Ego.”
“Self-esteem.”
“Arrogance.”
Of these 3 there is one I would like to have, one I wouldn’t and one I’m not too sure about.
Here are the definitions:
e·goˈēɡō/
noun
1. a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance.
“a boost to my ego”
synonyms: self-esteem, self-importance, self-worth, self-respect, self-image, self-confidence “the defeat was a bruise to his ego”
self-es·teemˈˌself əˈstēm/
noun
1. confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.
“assertiveness training for those with low self-esteem” synonyms: self-respect, pride, dignity, self-regard, faith in oneself;
ar·ro·gantˈerəɡənt/
adjective
1. having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.
“he’s arrogant and opinionated” synonyms: haughty, conceited, self-important, egotistic, full of oneself, superior;
As Santa, it seems to me that having high self-esteem is important.
- Having confidence in our ability to convincingly portray Santa Claus.
- Having confidence in our ability to but on a fun “performance” as Santa.
- Having confidence in our ability to answer the questions Santa gets.
- Having confidence in our personal look as well as our wardrobe.
All of these things add to our ability to be extraordinary in our portrayal of Santa. They also allow us to relax and have more fun “being” Santa.
For me being self-confident is primarily the result of 2 things.
- Preparation.
- Being OK with any result.
When I make an appearance as Santa, whether in a parade, on a TV or movie set, at a corporate event or a small home party… I do my homework. I work to learn names & 
memorize lines, I pamper my appearance… and then I let it all go.
I don’t stress in the moment, I just respond to whatever is happening.
I do the best I can and I know that I’m doing the best I can… and if things turn out great, GREAT… and if not, I know I did the best I could have done.
AFTER the appearance, I do a personal “debrief”. I ask myself what I could have done to make things go better. I make notes. Next time I try to make improvements in any, every, way I can.
Having high self-esteem, and being self-confident as Santa adds to the fun we have and the fun everyone else has.
Ego… have a healthy one.
Arrogance… When what we give is more important than what we get humility will replace arrogance. I want to be compensated for what I do… but I do what I do I because I have found it a gratifying way for me to serve others. It’s that service that leads the way to compensation… not the other way around.
I hope you have a wonderful week.
P.S. The “Getting PAID to be Santa Claus for the Entertainment Industry” classes start tonight. 3 “seats” remain.
