Yesterday, in the midst of traveling home from afterschool, my son announced that he would be making dinner. He is 8.
"What are you making?" I asked, to which he replied that it was a surprise.
"What if not everyone likes what you decide to make?" I asked.
"You guys always make things I don't like, and I just find stuff in the fridge. They can just do that."
And then and there, his battle was won.
At the age of 8, my son is an excellent negotiator. He knows what he
wants, and he knows what words to use to sway his audience. And in
life, often that's half--no, more than half--the battle.
Freelancing, particularly freelancing in multiple arenas, is a lot like
that. On a daily basis, I find that I am redefining how I present
myself, based on the people I'm approaching. On the down side, it
sometimes makes me unsure of exactly who I am each day. On the up side,
it reminds me that if I can sell myself to so many different audiences,
my skill set must pretty big. So, while my powers of persuasion might
not be QUITE as good as my son's, I can say that I taught him at least
a bit of what he knows.
(Oh, and in case you were wondering, the dinner my son made was
bacon/hot dog/cheese/lettuce sandwiches. And while some people did
supplement it with trips to the fridge, it was generally considered a
success.)
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