‘Eighty percent of success is showing up.’ (Allen Konigsberg, Heywood Allen–Woody Allen)

Today is Labor Day, so I thought I’d take it easy and go with a quotation that’s fun and well-known. There’s little question about the origin of this quotation. Allen has agreed in interviews that he said it, and others who quote the expression attribute it to Allen. So let’s agree with the preponderance of public opinion that this quotation should be attributed to Woody Allen. Given Allen’s penchant for pithy expressions and his strong work ethic—the words of the quotation seem fitting to him. I think the quotation finds its primary meaning in 3 different ways.

1. Showing up indicates interest.

Whether it’s a casting call for a play. A special Washington’s birthday sale at Walmart. A visit to the movie theatre. A stop at Starbuck’s or Dunkin’ Donuts. Or lunch with a friend. Showing up indicates interest. It shows that there’s something happening that has enough of your interest to get you there in the first place. You may not get the part. You may find nothing at Walmart. You may not like the movie. You may decide that you aren’t even in the mood for a latte, so you skip it altogether. Or lunch turns out to be a bit lackluster. But there can be no convincing argument that you didn’t at least have interest. Or you would have never made the effort to be there. Few people have the time or energy to travel to a place when what is to take place there holds no interest for them. So in the scheme of things, when somebody shows up—it means they’re interested enough to show up. No small thing, really. And if you’re on the receiving end of someone showing up—it should not be taken lightly. If you’re the play’s director, you can only select those who try out for the part. If you’re an employee of Walmart, realize that the customer before you in some measure is the one who makes your paycheck a reality. Movies are made with the hope that people will attend. So in some small way you contribute to the making of future movies by showing up. Okay, this may be a bit of a stretch. But you get the point. Starbuck’s and Dunkin’ Donuts are probably not concerned that one person skips their latte. But if ENOUGH people make the same decision, they’ll be concerned. And the friend you’ve arranged to meet for lunch will appreciate your showing up, and it will make the lunch at least a possibility. All this to say that showing up indicates interest. Our interest or someone else’s. It should not be dismissed as unimportant.

2. Showing up indicates concern.

There are other occasions when showing up doesn’t just show interest—it indicates concern. It shows that you care. It demonstrates a level of commitment that would not be known if you were absent. There are many of these occasions in life.

• A graduation
• A friend in the hospital
• A wedding
• A friend or family member’s move to a new home
• A funeral
• A friend in trouble who needs your support
• A community service project
• A personal tragedy where your presence will help

Showing up in these cases doesn’t just show interest—it shows concern. It shows that you care. It shows that you care enough to be there. This is no small matter. I can remember times in my life when I really did nothing at all but show up. I said nothing profound. I did no work. I spent no money. I didn’t fix anything. I simply offered my presence. Nothing more. But that was enough. In fact, it was a LOT. And I only came to know this years later when they told me how much my presence had meant to them. I had no idea that it could have meant so much to them. But it did. Apparently 80% of the value was realized by just showing up. Nothing more.

3. Showing up indicates potential.

Have you ever gone on a job interview only to have it later seem like a total waste of time? Have you ever gone to a sports event and been overwhelmingly disappointed? Ever been to a bad movie? Or gone out to dinner and later wished you had gotten a sandwich out of a vending machine instead? Ever been on a disastrous date? Ever gone on a vacation that you looked forward to for months—only to find that it fell far short of what you anticipated? The answer is of course, yes. For all of us. But the quotation doesn’t say that showing up guarantees anything. It does imply that showing up has potential. After all, ANY of the examples given could have turned out very well. They could have even been life changing. You would have never been offered your job had you not gone to that interview. You may have witnessed a record-breaking performance at the sports event. Some of the best movies we’ve ever seen were not rated so well—and yet they spoke to us at the time. No one ever had a memorable dinner out when they stayed home. And sure, some dates are not so good. But some are. And some result in a marriage. Remember? And a vacation can provide great memories that last a lifetime. But only if you ‘show up.’

It’s good to keep this little aphorism in mind. Even if Mr. Allen sounds a bit facetious in saying it. There’s a lot of truth in it nonetheless. You just never know what might happen by showing up. But you can be certain that nothing will happen if you don’t.

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Copyright © 2016 by Samuel Rodenhizer
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