“If you’d panic at your actions being broadcast to the world, it’s time to take a hard look at your actions.” ~LMB
It’s hard to imagine that you haven’t heard about the Coldplay Jumbotron incident—where a CEO and his head of HR were caught on the Jumbotron holding each other during the concert. Sounds sweet, right?
Wrong.
As soon as the couple saw themselves on the larger-than-life screen—in front of thousands of people—they panicked and frantically tried to get off screen. Coldplay’s Chris Martin joked that they were either being painfully shy or having an affair.
Apparently, Chris was right.
They were having an affair. And like all affairs, secrecy and lies are the name of the game. Only—it’s tough to lie your way out of a Jumbotron moment that goes viral for the entire world to see.
Sadly, after working with thousands of individuals and couples over the years, I’ve witnessed countless “private Jumbotron moments” play out in homes across the globe:
- A wife discovers her husband’s lurid text messages.
- A husband catches his wife sexting.
- A teenager sees her dad kissing a stranger outside a restaurant.
- A wife calls her husband’s hotel room—and another woman answers.
And the list goes on.
The fallout of these moments is more damaging than most can imagine—often lasting for years, decades, or even generations. And these weren’t even public. They weren’t blasted across giant screens or plastered all over the internet and news.
The shockwave of a Jumbotron moment is devastating and hard to imagine for anyone not personally experiencing the pain. Whether it’s a kiss, a text, or a screen—when the truth is suddenly exposed, it often feels like the floor has been ripped out from under you. Reality sets in fast. Panic follows. You become instantly sober to the fact that your world—and your family’s world—is about to come crashing down.
Unless, of course, you are a sociopath or psychopath who doesn’t care who you hurt or what you destroy—but that’s a different post☺.
The reality is that there are few things more sobering than realizing your entire life is about to come down in an instant.
Most people, though, don’t think they’ll get caught. They brush off their guilt for the thrill of instant gratification.
But here’s the truth:
Your Jumbotron moment can come at any time.
So—what would it reveal about you?
Would it show you cheating?
Gambling your child’s college tuition away?
Embezzling money?
Sexually assaulting, harassing, bullying, or the like?
Or would it show you being an engaged father, a trustworthy spouse, an empowering and respectful leader—someone your children and family would proudly emulate and brag about?
Your character shows up when no one’s watching as much as it does when the camera—and all eyes—are on you.
Are you the same person in front of others as you are when you think no one’s watching?
Too many marriages, families, and lineages have been greatly harmed by the actions of one person who thought no one would ever find out about the secret they were hiding. I see those secrets come to light more often than you can imagine—and in ways, no one ever would have expected.
Your jumbotron moment can happen at any time.
It could play out in the privacy of your own home or on the jumbo screen for all the world to see. Make sure that what the world sees is something you’d be proud to show.
Challenge: If the world caught you on the jumbotron doing the thing you hoped no one would see, would you be proud, or would you be scrambling to disappear?
If your answer is to run, then perhaps it’s time to change course—before you burn your life, and your family’s life, to the ground for a few moments of gratification.
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