Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?
On Monday, I started drafting a new blog post in my mind. It started as a post about Kent State’s PR program. On Tuesday, it was a post about PR in the entertainment industry. The topics kept changing as the week progressed, but it wasn’t until yesterday that I found something that really made sense. I was reading the latest Young PR post, which included a video feed of a speech given by Randy Pausch.
Pausch is a professor of computer-science at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and is expected to only live for a few more months. In the speech, Pausch outlined several points to consider while riding the roller coaster of life. If you have an hour to spare , watch it. ( I know, I know…. you don’t even have a minute to spare! ) But, it is hands-down the best speech I have ever heard. You can learn more about Pausch in this Wall Street Journal article. Here are some of the main points of his speech:
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Brick walls are there for a reason, they let us prove how badly we want things.
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Get fundamentals down. Without them, none of the fancy stuff can happen.
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Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you.
And last, but not least, Pausch asks the question, are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?
Although all of his points are important to young PR professionals, I find the last one to be the most thought-provoking.
Many of you already know from your childhood days that Tigger and Eeyore are very different creatures. Tigger is the outgoing, energetic, confident, and spontaneous character. Eeyore, on the other hand, is the pessimistic, shy, un-opinionated, and down-in-the-dumps character. As I get ready to embark on the next phase of my life, which includes getting a “big kid” job, I find myself taking a look in the mirror and comparing myself to these two characters.
The “Tiggers” of the PR world are those who go out and grab the new forms of social media by the horns. These same people are leading the way in blog conversations, online news releases, podcasts and social networking around the world. In a world where the Web is changing literally every second, I believe it is important to become acclimated to these new trends. Some traditional public relations professionals, who are opposed to these changes, are deemed the “Eeyores” of the industry. They are the co-workers who won’t drag themselves away from writing a press release and cringe at the thought of recording a video to distribute to online communities.
If you want a little added fun, check out the 100-Acre Personality Quiz.
I think it’s extremely important to understand the new trends in PR. Not only is it important for newbies like myself, but for seasoned veterans of the profession as well. Go explore! Start a blog. Leave comments on other blogs. Read some insightful posts on the changes in public relations. Here is a post from Kent State’s own Bill Sledzik, and yet another post from Todd Defren. You never know who is reading or what knowledge you will gain from blog posts. After all, life is a continual learning process right?
I am most like winnie-the-pooh. And I think that you are correct about the fact that the “tiggers” of the PR world are the ones that will get ahead by going out and grabbing the work industry by the horns. Taking the initiative is the first step to achieving goals. Good post!!!
great post! Glad you liked the video, I found it quite inspiring.
Re: tigger vs Eeyore – remember Eeyore balances out some of Tiggers over-exuberance.
I just hope I never get compared to Pigglet, that Pansy always got up my nose.
I am a student taking Medical Term., and it is an online class. Well, for a discussion we had to watch this video clip, and then write about it. Well, that same week I had to end a friendship because they had been lying tome and would confess it. I was having a bad week, and say “poor me, poor me”. When I heard the professor say “would you rather go through life as an eeyore or tigger?”, it made me think. Ever since that day I have been a totally different person, and am living live to the fullest! Then I see that you have watch the same video, and have been inspired like I have. It’s cool that a professors words can changes peoples lives, and make them think differently about situations. I love eeyore, but if I have to choose…I’d rather live life like a tigger!