It’s hard to find anyone, including myself, who gives advice through the written or spoken word that doesn’t at some point implore everyone to focus on the things that matter. I have written and said this many times, but I still realize that in my own life it’s easy to focus on what matters if you can ever define what matters.

In the early days of my TV career, as I was founding and establishing the Narrative Television Network, I had the privilege of interviewing on camera many of Hollywood’s biggest and most significant classic stars. As I look back on it today, it’s still hard to imagine that a blind, struggling TV entrepreneur with no experience got to sit down and interview Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and many others. I’ll never forget my first TV interview as it continues to teach me lessons beyond the entertainment industry.

The word “superstar” or “icon” is overused in today’s vernacular, but by any definition or understanding, Katharine Hepburn was a superstar. I remember the symphony of nerves I felt sitting down on the set to do my very first interview ever. It’s difficult enough to do any interview, but when your first guest is Katharine Hepburn, it becomes surreal.

As I was awaiting Miss Hepburn to join me on the set, her manager approached me and quietly said, “Miss Hepburn will be just another moment. She gets struck by a bout of stage fright every time she performs.”

I was in absolute shock to know the greatest actress of her generation was nervous to the degree she was locked away in a room, collecting herself before she could come on my fledgling TV talk show.

After the brilliant interview in which Miss Hepburn sparkled and I managed to stay out of the way, I asked her privately why she was nervous to appear on camera with me. She shrugged and said, “I’ve always been nervous to perform.” I asked, “What do you do to get over it?” Her answer spoke to me then and still speaks to me now on many levels. Miss Hepburn said, “I know I’m going to be nervous, and I simply perform anyway. I decided years ago that being nervous didn’t matter, and even though I can’t control it, I make sure that it doesn’t control me.”

Lesser performers and lesser people might think that Katharine Hepburn was somehow different and above the normal human frailties. It is amazing to learn how normal superstars really are, and maybe they are even bigger stars because they deal with the same doubts and fears that we all do; but the superstars have determined that it simply doesn’t matter.

The next time you feel doubt, fear, or inadequacy, I hope you will think of Katharine Hepburn and remember that your own greatness is just on the other side of the perceived obstacle that really doesn’t matter.

As you go through your day today, make sure you control the things that matter while avoiding being controlled by the things that don’t.

Today’s the day!