This post is going to be about something that has been percolating in my head for quite some time now. It came to a head tonight as I was working on a presentation and in the background I had the television on. I caught an interview with Chris Martin who is the lead singer of Coldplay and was struck by how delightfully normal the guy was.
The longer I watched the interview the more it got me thinking about how we are so quick to put people who have achieved more than us up on pedestals. There is something comforting to humans to point at someone who has created something amazing and say that they are a truly amazing person, a genius, a person who is capable of things so far beyond us that we can only sit in awe of what they do. It is comforting because it allows us to not think of ourselves as failures for not achieving in the same way.
The truth is that most of these people are not geniuses, they weren’t born into wealth, or born with skills that surpass our own. They are simply people that have worked hard and put their heart into what they were doing. They didn’t do what they were doing because they thought that it would make them successful overnight, but because they loved what they were doing and would do it no matter what.
Sure many of them got lucky, but if they hadn’t been working hard they never would have been in a position to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to them. So my only advice to you is to find something that you are interested in, or find something that you enjoy doing, and just go do it. If you can really find something that you enjoy doing then you will continue to do it no matter whether it makes you “successful” or not. Just remember, success can be measure in many different ways.
Now shut up and go create something.
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110% agree… great post
It’s absolutely true and it’s also true that it’s easier to knock successful people than actually creating something yourself. It requires very little effort to criticise, but so much more to actually create something new. If only more would shut up and go create something, the world would be a better place :-).
Have to agree with you on this one, it’s a very interesting observation ……
"we can only sit in awe of what they do. It is comforting because it allows us to not think of ourselves as failures for not achieving in the same way."
Well said.
This applies to more than praising other people’s achievements. For example, we hear things like "He is so hardworking," or "she is so organized" but the people who say that never seem to want to learn anything from those they are praising.
Cool post! thanks 🙂
It’s very true though. Everyone has some sort of opportunity in life, you need to take hold of it and make the best out of it. The main problem is that most people get stuck in the rut permanent employment with a company you hate and lots of debt to pay, this becomes a never-ending loop and then you die.
You need to realize that there is more out there for you, infinite posibilities and endless potential.
Just jump… and don’t be ordinary.
Just work hard and you’ll get it all :)!