How To NOT Be Chosen As A Contestant On A TV Game Show

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1978
Price is Right

Jeopardy. “Alex, I’ll take Norwegian fjords for $100 please.” You’ve seen it plenty of times. Answers are given in the form of questions. Each answer doesn’t necessarily add up to a lot of money but in the end, if you answer a lot right you can walk away with some decent change.

My wife Janie had seen some glory while on the CBS The Price Is Right. She won a lot of stuff on that show during the Bob Barker days when we lived in the Los Angeles area and were working with the launch of one of the original Vineyard churches. Long story short, “If she can do it, so can I.” A mutual friend of ours coached me on how to succeed in the game show biz without trying too much. He was in the Screen Actor’s Guild as are many who do well on those things. He gave me some tips. I went down to the tryouts locally to attempt to get onto Jeopardy.

The first part of the try out is a knowledge quiz. That portion of the try out blitzed out the majority of the crowd. Of the fifty who began, there were maybe eight still left who had apparently graduated from college and knew a bit about geography. I ended up doing a photo session with a Polaroid Instant Shot camera. The guy who took my picture said: “Give me your best shot!” I thought he meant “Fake your best-acting face” so I put on a pose that looked something like an edgy car salesman who was hyperactively hungry for a sale. I was way over the top with my look.

Some minutes later when it was time for the people present to do a quick interview together with the producer he pulled out my picture but couldn’t locate me in the group. Seriously. I was impossible to find in that very small group. The face I mustered up some minutes before was pretty much impossible for any sane human being who was not overdosed on crank to do once again. He didn’t say much but he flashed my picture to the assistant nearby. They looked at it together for a second and started laughing. Can you imagine the nerve of them? They were laughing at my portrait. I was in danger of having my poor little feelings hurt. But I learned some powerful summary lessons.

Be Yourself.

You are acceptable in and of yourself. You are worth rejoicing over as you are without the Actor’s Guild add-ons.

It’s Not Worth It To Fake It.

To change forward toward alterations is one thing but to fake, it is to ignore who we really are deep down in God’s creation of us. When we try to be someone we are not we wallow in lies and the admission we don’t like the “us” we have been made to be.

Rejoice In Your Own Capacities.

You are good enough in your own story. There is no need to attempt to be or do anything that is different than what you are about. There are desires in you right now that are worth feeding. Nourish your creative hunger and see what comes of it. Who knows, you might then end up on a really cool, intelligent game show such as Family Feud!

Steve has spoken, mentored and modeled to churches and leaders around the world with the simple message that anyone – regardless of their gifting or experience – can be involved in bringing God’s loving kindness to others. His first book, Conspiracy of Kindness has been translated into several languages with more in the works. His first book has sold over 300,000 copies. Altogether his books have sold over 500,000 copies.