Lessons I Learned from Wheel of Fortune
A few weeks ago, I was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. I won just over $17,000 in cash and prizes, but what I took away from the experience was worth so much more.
Here is what I learned:
1. You can’t make dreams come true unless you try.
I heard from so many people who asked me how I got on the show. If you want something, go for it. Sitting on the couch saying “good things never happen to me” won’t get you any further than the couch. Apply, put in effort, and go for it! Do the work!
2. Take Chances
I had to decide pretty quickly if I could rearrange my schedule, fly to LA and make this happen. For a second, I thought, can I really do this? YES. YES YOU CAN. Sometimes ambition is difficult and logistics are stressful, but only you are in charge of your own happiness. Make it happen.
3. You will make mistakes. Learn from them.
I had the million dollar puzzle piece in my hand. I had the wild card in my hand. I had a trip to Aruba in my hand and I had total control of the wheel. I completely blew it when my brain couldn’t see the answer to the puzzle : Grand Slam Dunk. Ironic right? I had everything at my fingertips (a slam dunk some would say) and my brain just couldn’t see it. When I walked off that stage for the commercial break, I was so angry at myself. But I had a choice in the moment. I could let it hold me back or I could shake it off and start again. I chose the latter. And boy am I glad I did. Positivity took me to the final round!
4. Reserve judgment
I can’t tell you how many people harassed me for not getting that first puzzle correct. Until you are walking in someone’s shoes, you don’t know what’s happening in that moment. The stage is intense, lots of moving pieces and it can be overwhelming to be under pressure. Give others a little grace when they make mistakes. That could be you in the next episode of life. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
5. How you play the game counts!
I went in with a positive attitude. No matter what happened, I considered myself to be lucky just to be there. When Pat Sajak called me “delightful and exhausting” I played along and laughed about it. Sometimes you have to have a sense of humor and go with the flow under pressure. Let’s face it: it was a true privilege to be “Sajaked” by a game show legend!
6. Nothing beats true human connection!
When we taped Wheel, we all were instructed to keep our phones off all day. We were at the studio for almost 12 hours. At first, I was panicked that I couldn’t look at my phone. What was I missing? What if someone needed something? Guess what? They didn’t. Instead, I formed genuine connections with the people around me. We laughed, we told stories and we learned from each other IN THE MOMENT. We need more of THIS.
Life is one giant puzzle. Maybe the answers are right in front of you and you just don’t see them. But if you just open your eyes, you’ll find your purpose.
The wheel of possibility awaits. Take it for a spin!