Now let’s get something straight right up front:  I am not the scientific expert in the family.  I’m pretty sure that honor goes to my younger brother who is obviously a genius (when he was 11 years-old, I clearly remember him explaining to me in detail how the eyeball converts light to “vision”).  So what can I possibly know about physics and how can the laws of physics relate in any way to The Pageant Wave?

No doubt you’ve seen a demonstration of The Pageant Wave during a local parade or during one of those annoyingly stereotypical, yet adorable, pageant movies like Miss Congeniality.  The arm is bent in a 90 degree angle at the elbow and you gently rotate you hand back and forth at the wrist.  It’s a very small, very subtle movement that’s become the hallmark of beauty queens everywhere. So what does executing the perfect Pageant Wave have to do with achieving EBQ success?

Well, if you’ve ever ridden in a convertible during a parade, you know that parades typically go on for hours and hours!  You’re out there in the blazing hot sun, or pouring rain (it’s never perfect weather), smiling and looking pleasant even though you’re wondering how many more times you can listen to the high school band’s rendition of Eye of the Tiger without losing your mind.  You start out with lots of energy, but quickly realize that this is going to go on for miles and miles at a snails pace.  Strategically you adjust the energy with which you’re acknowledging the cheering crowd and dial back your enthusiastic wave.  What starts out as a broad wave that takes massive amounts of energy transforms into The Pageant Wave which uses one of physics most commonly understood laws: a wise EBQ strategically uses the least amount of energy necessary to produce the desired outcome.  For those of you who haven’t learned to speak “EBQ physics” just yet, that means “work smarter, not harder”!

We’ve all heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”, but are you really putting it in to practice everyday?  (Sigh) We’re usually so busy running around trying to get everything done that we just don’t take 15 minutes to review what’s on the list to make sure we’re working efficiently.  So make a point this week of viewing your “to do” list with the skeptical eye of an energy-conservationist and really ask yourself “What’s the most effective way to achieve what I want while expending the least amount of energy?”  Being energy efficient will actually make achieving your goals more fun plus you’ll have energy left over for your next fabulous EBQ project! 

So next time you’re looking at that “to do” list and feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed, just smile, close your eyes, imagine yourself at that parade, and go ahead and show the cheering crowd YOUR best Pageant Wave – in no time you’ll be on your way to EBQ success!