It’s Time.
148 Likes, 30 Comments - Norman Seawright III (@seawrightsays) on Instagram: "God is good. Won #2019VAPB Sports Anchor of the Year from The Virginias Associated Press..."
Three Years.
I gave three years of my life in West Virginia in service of my career aspiration, but it became so much more than that along the way. Who you become during a journey is far more important than the destination, and I am pleased to have understood this.
When I arrived, it was as an ambitious young man of 25 years, whose singular focus was becoming better at unscripted live broadcasting; I’d moved from Minnesota to a much more manageable 4 hours’ drive from the Louisville, KY area—where I spent adolescence. I had neither fully recognized nor wielded the potential I had as a broadcaster, storyteller, and personality... nor had I determined who I wanted to be—and it showed. When you don’t serve your dreams, you end up in service to someone else’s.
Time and again, I found myself in unfamiliar territory—professionally and personally—and began to understand that while it had always been my instinct to rise to challenges before me, I was lacking in that I was failing to create these challenges for myself. Having rectified that, the truth of who I wanted to be started to take shape; I could be confident in myself, reject what doesn’t fit, stand up to anyone (most critically, finally, in my own defense), take strength from my own determination and align myself with what feels right based on personal conviction.
Growth.
I walk away from this experience having won, for three straight years, the Virginias’ Associated Press Broadcasters Best Sports Anchor award. Each year, it’s meant something different. The first one identified, for me, my unique capability. The second validated my commitment to both constant improvement and my goal, which had since been achieved many times over. The third showed me that, with humility, candor and confidence, life will yield to me (and you).
81 Likes, 13 Comments - Norman Seawright III (@seawrightsays) on Instagram: "When it's cold, but basketball is life (and so is style) . . . . . @sportsmedialife..."
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I have been in plenty of back-against-the-wall situations; most notably, the time I traveled to Birmingham, AL to follow Marshall University in the Conference USA Basketball tournaments. I found my stride as an unscripted broadcast personality and began to accelerate. I don’t know if it was the fish or the Old Bay seasoning, but I also suffered an allergic reaction requiring me to drive at breakneck speed across town, running red lights with hazard lights on, to chug some Benadryl before my throat closed—literally a scene from the movie “Hitch,” except... I was alone. No date, no coworker. Just me and a little adrenaline.
I stopped being a yes man. That’s the most significant development in my life—people-pleasing is, by definition, dishonest. It’s self-serving while being dangerously self-deprecating. You don’t get what you want by hoping for it—you get it by taking it. Self-assured living is vital for anyone who wants a fulfilling life. Make a choice, live with it. Trust yourself. Take command of your life. Realizing my self-worth, my power, and how necessary it is to be truly happy in life meant making this change, and it’s been worth it.
Maturity.
45 Likes, 2 Comments - Norman Seawright III (@seawrightsays) on Instagram: "Can you blame a guy for putting his own name on his back? (Answer: yes, but keep it to yourself)..."
I developed a creative streak in my work—one with practical, successful, and lucrative application—and this has become the cornerstone for the kind of man and professional I intend to be. It was really cool to develop a concept, execute it, and watch the (all positive) feedback roll in. Got my body good and strong in the process—and, by the way, strapped on a lot of muscle over three years. Will never complain about this. I got a solid handle on the kind of television personality I want to be, and have been refining it endlessly, revisiting concepts, returning to the drawing board, adding to and removing from the arsenal. It mirrors life; you grow and change. Some aspects are timeless, some require updates, and others are to be retired. Knowing which deserves what is half of that battle.
I love the fact that the community I joined welcomed me, nurtured my development, and helped me understand what it means to grow where you’re planted. Nearly everyone I’ve met along the way is someone I’ll happily keep in contact with, because even the professional connections I’ve made—those whom it was my job to talk to and about—became people with whom it was a delight to interact on a personal basis.
Determination.
I came to learn who I am, what I need, and what it means to be in an adult relationship firsthand, along with what will and won’t work for me. I’ve found myself surrounded by an incredible support network of family and friends—a healthy number of whom, believe it or not, are women (men, make friends with women who will keep it 100 with you—trust me, this makes a huge difference). Again, know yourself, know your worth, know what adds to your life, and what exists simply to drain you. These answers are not usually clear-cut but, following the adage that you are the average of the people you spend the most time with, you cannot afford to be careless in this arena.
In my final year, I found myself set free—professionally, I was free to sculpt myself, direct myself, and apply myself to grow and mature. Personally, I am free to be what I’m destined to be, neither bound by preconceived ideas, the desire to be desired (which is big, because this was a huge sticking point), nor the fear of anyone else’s perception—family included.
Joy.
Overall, I learned to be comfortable with chaos. Constant shifting and moving meant becoming someone who can withstand repeated change, over and over again, without becoming jaded. The secret to this is defining your purpose for yourself. If you let someone else do it for you, you’ll never develop your own drive—you will be beholden to someone else forever. The other side of this secret is to remain flexible. You may know exactly what you’re capable of delivering, but the ability to adapt to new circumstances is a sign that you will keep yourself from becoming stagnant. There’s an element of patience, as well.
This chapter ends, and another begins. I depart West Virginia as a 28-year-old man; older, wiser, confident, observant, sometimes defiant, focused, mature, stronger, more joyful, emotionally intelligent, eager, ambitious, peaceful, and ready to reach my complete potential. This story isn’t over yet—there’s so much more to do. Thanks for being here so far. The ride’s been fun, and it will continue to be. Once it isn’t, I’ll walk away from it.
Best,
Norman
29 Likes, 1 Comments - Norman Seawright III (@seawrightsays) on Instagram: "The #CreedII trailer's out, and I am unable to think about anything else. Thanks for a solid..."