I get a bit of grief for not being nervous more often than I am.  One, I know I have finally developed a healthy sense of confidence.  Two, I am always a bit more nervous than I show. Three, after a life of fairy hard knocks I have some perspective on what matters and what does not.  And things that are not important do not make me nervous.  

Side note, it is interesting to me how many people perceive confidence as arrogance... Maybe more on that later.  

So then, you would probably ask, why on a day at lunch where I got to go sit quietly with one person, talk about superheroes, favorite animals, and play a really simple board game was I a nervous wreck before I got there. 

Because today it REALLY matter.  

I started my mentorship with an little boy that really needs a good example in his life.  This is the most important thing I have done in a long time.  

Good news is it was not hard, and the nerves melted away with the first couple of words.  He was bright and engaged and he made me feel better right away, it is funny how kids haven't learn to put on airs yet at that age. And I was with him what I am with everyone, I just treated him like I would want to be treated. Especially like the eight year old me would have wanted to be treated.  Maybe that is not true, like the eight year old me needed to be treated.  

By the way when it was over I felt fantastic.  It reminds me again of the Starfish story.  Today I made a difference in an eight year old kid's life.  He was one of hundreds in the school, thousands in the areas, millions on the planet.  But for 25 minutes we just sat and talk and it was the best I have felt about my place on this planet in awhile.