What a Turn-On!
I just watched the season finale of The Newsroom and I have to say one thing: that show seriously turns me on!
Wait, please, before you click away. I am absolutely not crazy, I promise. I have never felt this way from a tv show, no matter how much I may have liked it. This show is just so incredible – if you haven’t watched it, you have to. It’s on HBO on Sunday nights (well, I guess not for a little while now since that was the finale – but you can find it in your On Demand or whatever your cable company calls that section). Seriously, you know how NBC used the ad campaign “Must See TV”? Yea, that should have been written for this show. (Reading through this paragraph, I realized it sounded like an ad – I guess I should add a disclaimer that I have not been paid or offered any sort of compensation for this blog post, but of course, if they’d like to offer anything, I’d be happy to consider accepting it.)
I have a background in both journalism and politics. One of the biggest common threads I found in both were the people who work in those fields (for the most part, especially in the beginning) do it because they truly believe in what they are doing, they want to make a positive difference in the world. I remember feeling incredible passion for what I was doing, in both jobs. Both jobs made me feel incredible – like I was going to make a difference, like I was doing something good. The media often gets a bad rap for being one sided or pushing an agenda, but I still believe that most of those who devote themselves to those endeavors do so because they believe in what they are doing. Same with people in politics – both those in the limelight and behind the scenes. Sure, some people do what they do to make a name for themselves or to push their own agendas, but I do not believe that is the case across the board. I knew too many truly good people who worked very hard in both fields, and for very little money at that (at least starting out, the pay in both industries is awful).
Anyhow, The Newsroom is a very high-brow show. It is not for those completely uninterested in politics or important issues. In fact, in the show the issues tackled are those very issues facing us in this country today, or in days not too far past. In my opinion, to really be able to appreciate the show, you have to be able to understand those issues, which the show does a great job of explaining.
When you watch the show, you get caught up in the energy and the passion of those on-screen. They are working so hard for what they believe in, to change perceptions and bring the truth to the people. Their energy is contagious even to many of those watching. I get energized, I get excited. It’s amazing writing and acting – otherwise its viewers wouldn’t feel that way.
For most of my life, I negated my intelligence. I knew I was smart but I didn’t fully appreciate how smart. I’m not writing that to sound conceited, just a statement of fact which I was reminded of the other day by a friend from my political days. He said I never gave myself enough credit in that and another area. Thankfully, now I do, in both areas. Anyhow, now I embrace my intelligence, I appreciate it; and I completely appreciate it in others. I’ve discovered about myself that really intelligent guys turn me on, too, just like the show. Ok, not all intelligent guys, I mean, obviously there has to be something else there. That’s what I think it is about the show that just really turns me on – it inspires me, makes me think, I love the sarcasm and humor, and it gets me excited every episode.
When I realized that the show turned me on, it made me start what will likely now be an ongoing thought process inside my head. It turned me on because of the passion. Often, we think of passion as something sexual, but it’s much more than that. Those most successful at what they do are successful because of the passion driving their work. Passion, as defined by Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, is an “intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction” and “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept”, in addition to being defined as a sexual desire.
So maybe to find true professional happiness and satisfaction, I need to think completely outside the box. Instead of trying to plan my life as a 42 year old, I need to try to think like an 18 year old, or a 21 year old. I need to think about what intellectually excites me (turns me on, if you will) and go in that direction. For the record, this could be challenging since I find so much of business and technology so fascinating this could really take me anywhere.
Live, love, laugh…it makes it all worthwhile!
Marjorie Writes... 