There is No Instant Greatness

I was at the gym this morning when I thought of Stephen King, the writer. No, it wasn't because I encountered something scary. (Unless you count when I realize I'm losing the age battle.) Right now I'm reading Stephen King's book, On Writing. Written in 2000, it's Kings ideas about what it takes to be a good writer. One of the points King hammers home in the book is that writing takes work and good writing takes a lot of work. What hit home to me this morning at the gym is that everything we want to do well requires hard work and that's not something we like to think about in this country.

We live in a society galvanized by the idea of "instant." Instant fame, instant celebrity, instant wealth. We surround ourselves through media with those who have made it in an instant. The subtle message is that if we are lucky we can have instant something. But if we look at people who are "instantly" propelled to the spotlight, we will realize one of two things.

First of all, if they arrive seemingly out of nowhere, they will go back just as quickly. People who have no talent or work ethic seldom last long as paragons of success. Success is built on sweat and perseverance with opportunity thrown in for zest.

On the other hand, there are those individuals who have toiled hard at their skills for many years. It's just that they've flown under the radar screen. When they arrive it seems like they are "instantly" successful, but that's not quite true. When Stephen King wrote Carrie and sold it successfully he had been writing and getting rejected for years. He just kept at it.

Honestly I sometimes worry about our country. There seems to be a growing sense of entitlement and a shrinking sense of work ethic. Yet there are still individuals who work their butts off to create the best life they can for themselves and their families. They are the people we should be emulating, not some instant celeb on TV who hasn't worked a day in his or her brief life.

There are multiple studies suggesting that our behavior changes as we watch others. We emulate what we see. So we need role models who are struggling and working hard. They will make us succeed when we don't think it's possible. Because in the end, it's those who continue the struggle who will triumph. As for me, I guess I've got a lot of work to do.

The Complexity of Simplicity

Scanning the internet this morning I perused three different articles that offered "The ---- simple steps to..."  Amazing that lack of attention, social media addiction and great leadership can be solved in a maximum of seven simple steps (one of them only took 3steps). Wow, what's next, "3 steps to solve world hunger?" Heck, we can do it in one step. 1.Feed everybody. But though there are myriad "simple" solutions out there, the challenge of implementing these solutions is more complex. So why is it so difficult to implement some of these simple solutions?

1. Hard work. In the 12 years of study on personal greatness this is the one challenge easily forgotten when we read a blog or book on the simple way to become great. It takes lots of hard work. Though we know that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is approximately what it takes to be an expert, we then have to sit down and put in the time. It's not easy. As a matter of fact, individuals who have great success usually have worked very hard to get there (unless you are a Kardashian).

2. The Problem of Experts. The media touts experts in every field asking their opinion on how others can join their ranks. They reply "simple.." and rattle off a few ideas on how to become the best in their field. The challenge is that they speak from a rarefied air. Usually experts have some natural ability or strength in their respective field. Trying to have them explain it is difficult because many of them always had somewhat of a natural ability. A natural athlete, performer, or innovator, though they may have put in the time to be an expert, usually had a head start with their skills that allowed them to soar in that field. Listening to them is good, but sometimes it's better to listen to others who have struggled more. We might get a better perspective on what it takes. I've learned a lot more from struggling writers than I have from the experts.

3. Desire. Too often we attempt to work toward something not because it is what we want to do but because it is what others want us to do. Society, friends and family have wonderful ideas of how we can better. The media makes a fortune telling us how to be the richest, most popular, most beautiful person we can be. Yet it is their concepts of what we should be. Many of us, deep down, have no real desire to live the way others want us to live, yet we spend a lot of time trying because we think it's what we are supposed to do or who we are supposed to be. (personally I'm giving up on the 6-pack abs because I'm convinced the guys in the mags are martians.)

These are just some of the challenges we encounter when we try "simple" solutions to complex problems. There are many more, but that would just make it too complex.

Really there is one simple solution to all of life's problems... Do what you love to do. But that is the most complex solution of all.

Are You One of Them?

TV fascinates me; not the shows, because they are mostly junk, but the commercials. Everything from the jingles, to the picture, and especially the message is designed to get us to buy things. Yet more insidious are the promises they make. They promise products that will make us smarter, stronger, more successful, extremely popular and, of course, better looking. They promise happiness and long life and if we listen closely, they promise that we will be remembered; they promise a legacy.

Of course we logically know that none of the products can deliver on these promises, but they seduce us anyway. Perhaps if I have the right suit, brightest teeth and use the right pen I can be successful. Maybe if I upgrade to the newest computer or software version I will finally be efficient so that I can do what I really want to do. Maybe if I’m seen in the right places looking fabulous I’ll be discovered. The possibilities are endless and they are sad.

There is no shortcut to personal greatness. Utilizing the best of your capabilities and resources involves practice (expertise takes approximately 10,000 hours to obtain). It requires focus, not the multimedia distractions most flesh is heir to. Personal greatness requires commitment, dedication and it’s sometimes a very lonely journey. Those are just some of the challenges awaiting anyone who really desires to explore their personal greatness.

So, why bother? Because as human beings we are primed for more than just going through the motions and slugging back a beer at the end of the day. From the time we are little, we desire to leave a mark, to make a difference on this planet, to “be” somebody. Then we hit “reality.” We learn the arduous task of success. We understand the pain of being ostracized when our ideas are different. We discover the unique challenge of standing out from the crowd. And so it becomes easier not to bother.

Yet there are those who want to make a difference, through their work, their discoveries, their gifts, and their personal greatness. Each day they renew their commitment to choose their unique path and they make the journey knowing the cost. Some people support them and enjoy being with them. Yet even supporters see these unique individuals as “lucky” or “different” because they do what they believe in and work toward it despite the challenges. 

So for those of you who choose to explore your personal greatness I don’t say “good luck” because I don’t believe in luck. Every person I’ve met who is unleashing their best has made the choices necessary to do so. I say to you “continued success.” You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you.