It kind of boggles me why so many of us are skeptics even when the truth is right in front of us. I mean, all the evidence can be right there, and we’ll still think “Yeah right. That’s a totally different situation“.
For example, I talked about how Jessica Mah started her own successful business at the age of 17. Before I wrote the post, I believed she was one of those few people that are able to do something like that. Come on, there’s no way a normal person could do that. She had to have some sort of reason why she got there.
Wait, I have an idea! She’s Asian and went to Berkeley! That’s why she’s such a genius. I see now. I could never do that. Problem solved: life just dealt me a different card.
Okay, I didn’t think about stuff like that, but I did try to rationalize supposed advantages she had towards her success. I tried to imagine her getting some sort of leg up on life, instead facing the reality of what she really did and what it really takes to succeed in life.
HARD, BONE-CRUSHING WORK.
Face reality
We have plenty of role models, but the thing we tend to throw away in our minds is the amount of work our role models put in to become who they are. For another example, we could talk about Leo Babauta. It seems that he rose to fame pretty quickly, don’t you think? In his “My Story” section of Zen Habits, Leo says he made his blog top 100K subscribers in a year. Sounds flashy and awe-inspiring, right? Sorry to burst your bubble, but the reality is he worked his ass off to get it to that level of popularity.
Bill Gates is another one of those “special people”. He dropped out of college and just made Microsoft, right? Again, wrong answer. He immersed himself in his passion years before he could even think of becoming a success. He was no prodigy. He was no genius. He figured out the secret to success early. Gates followed his passion and worked on it until he was dead tired. But even after that he kept going and kept moving forward.
Believe in what they believed in
It’s not about the end, it’s about the journey. We see the results of people’s labor and ask for it like we’re entitled to it. We want four-hour workweeks like Tim Ferriss. We want to just crush it in niches the same way Gary Vee did. We want to have thousands of subscribers like Brian Clark. We keep wanting and wanting and wanting. But any single mention of work, and we want to vomit in our mouths.
The truth is that we can’t make any excuses anymore. Heck, I can’t make excuses anymore. We need to stop blaming external influences and start taking responsibility for our own actions.We can’t blame trivial things like money, time, race, gender (Oprah, enough said), or other people. The tried and true formula for success has been right there in front of us the entire time.
I said it once and I’ll say it again
Take action now. Do something. Do ANYTHING. Just don’t let your chances for success be frittered away because you’re too busy admiring that Lamborghini, million dollar yacht, 100,000 subscriber count, or celebrity status. Go after what you want with all of your heart. It’s been said probably since the beginning of civilization: only when you accept the reality of action and perseverance will you get what you want.
I’m not the first one to tell you this. You might as well go out on a limb and take my word for it.
photo credit: LiveFromAmsterdam
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30 comments to “When You Hear the Same Thing From People You Trust, Believe It”
Good post. This is a good message:
“only when you accept the reality of action and perseverance will you get what you want.”
We can not hear this enough. Thank you for the good reminder.
Hey Bamboo, how’s it hanging? Glad you could check out my blog
I think we need to have signs everywhere saying: Do you think you’ve worked hard enough?
Just a thought
Thanks for stopping by!
Hey John,
I agree with you completely. We often complain and say we wish for this and we wish for that…but seriously when it comes to doing the work…we are all lazy bums!
Its almost the same like when people keep harping and giving money for a cause….but dont know a thing about the cause. And the same goes fro politics. Its easy to sit on a high horse and rationalize…but its difficult to do the work!!!
Youre so so right….DO THE WORK NOW NOW NOW!! And dont waste time complaining.
Lovely post…as always
Hey Zeenat! How are you? I can’t wait for you to cook some spicy Indian food for me!
Well, we’re not all lazy bums (especially not you!). We just have to face reality and realize it’s not going to take minimal effort to get maximum results. That’s not how life is meant to be – I think.
Loved your thoughts on this one. Thank you.
Hey John,
The denial of reality and what’s truly possible is one of the main things that frustrates me. I moved from trying to insistently get people to open their eyes, to becoming cynic, to just giving up, to trying again but in more elegant and effective ways. I think ultimately, it’s hard to deny reality when somebody sticks it right up in your face.
Eduard
Hey Eduard! Welcome to the blog!
Excuses really are the thing that kills action. I’m so glad you understand that. The ones who are willing to take the plunge must not just only be willing – remember the plunge! The plunge is the most important part. Intentions mean nothing compared to it
I’m glad you found this post insightful! Thanks so much.
Hey John, great post. I never thought I’d create a blog, make money off it, then sell it for a pretty penny. Sometimes I feel like I got lucky… but then I remember that hundreds if not thousands of hours that I put into my blog. That makes me realize that I worked hard for it and deserve the reward.
A couple of my friends thought I was crazy when I started ZenCollegeLife.com, and 2 years later I proved that I was creating something of value. It’s an amazing feeling.
If you want to do something, create something, become something, you have to just do it. Dig deep, find whatever motivation you need, and just get it done. At the finish line you’ll find a success that you didn’t even know you had in you.
Hey Ibrahim, wonderful stuff my man!
You make very good points. I realize ZenCollegeLife took a lot of energy to make. You poured your heart and soul into it. You did something you loved. Isn’t it amazing to get the fruits of your labor?
We all need a push in the right direction. I believe that’s what today’s message is. I don’t know if it will inspire everyone to work harder and dream bigger, but if I help them remember what it takes to succeed, that’s all that matters
Wow, I kind of ranted. Thanks again!
John, this may be your best post yet. I love this part:
“We keep wanting and wanting and wanting. But any single mention of work, and we want to vomit in our mouths.”
Yucky, but true. SO true. We love those before and after (rags to riches) stories; we WANT the after, but neglect the HUGE amount of work and determination that went into the journey from where they started to where they got.
One of the things that holds me back today, that didn’t during my twenties, is not having something I want bad enough to put all that hard work into. Back then I wanted my pilot’s license, my degree, my MBA, an awesome job and lots of money. Concrete goals to work towards.
Today, I want to be happy. I want time with my family. I want to help others. I want to enjoy the transition between the seasons. How does one monetize that sh*t? What can I obsess about that will keep me focused in one direction long enough to make it happen… months, years, decades, whatever it takes?
Not that you’d have an answer, I’m just sharing my frustration with you. I completely agree that the ONE thing it takes to make any dream come true is hard work… and that any one of us is capable of hard work. The trick is what to work towards?
Furthermore (not to totally hijack your comments, but…) What happens when we get there? When we have everything anyone could ever dream of (like Tiger) and it’s still not enough? Then we’ll be willing to give it all away in exchange for true happiness and simplicity… what I have now.
It’s the Stonecutter story, isn’t it?
Lisis! Always a pleasure to have you
My best post yet, huh? I’m glad you like it so much.
Honestly, you’ve given such a beautiful response (it’s like another mini post). The journey of success is quite the fickle one. Once we acquire so much, we don’t know what to do with it. Yet it is that abundance we strive for (whether it be time, money, or experiences). I think the ‘epiphany of life’ comes when we realize what is truly important – you yourself have discovered that.
And about Tiger, who knows how that happens? It’s just life my good friend…just life.
Come back soon, Lisis!
Great post. One of your best.
Hey Bunny! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
money money money
the most honest and unleashed thing i’ve read by you.
keep your eye one the road, but take stops to admire the matt black lambo that will soon have your name on the numberplate
slickness dipped in virgin’s tears.
hope all’s well mate
alex – unleash reality
Ha ha, hey Alex! It’s been too long hasn’t it man? Glad to see you back in the blogosphere
Yeah, I’d like to get at least one flashy thing. I’m not materialistic, but you know, just for the experience. Glad you enjoyed the post man. Keep on moving forward, my friend
Hi John, this observation was so true: “We have plenty of role models, but the thing we tend to throw away in our minds is the amount of work our role models put in to become who they are.”
Things look very different when you see the big picture instead of just the end results. Just accepting that wishing won’t make it so, and that real work is involved, puts you way ahead of the curve.
I like the old saying – The reason most people don’t recognize opportunity is because it often comes disguised as hard work.
Hey Jonathan, glad to have you here!
I love that quote. It just encompasses everything I’ve said in the post:
“The reason most people don’t recognize opportunity is because it often comes disguised as hard work.”
When you look past the end result, you see the harsh reality life deals. Most can’t stomach it, but whoever said it would be easy? You have to test people’s endurance and dedication somehow.
Great thoughts, my friend. Talk to you soon
Good advice John.
Action is everything. Excuses don’t bring us closer to our goals only hard work does.
Hey John, busy traveling? Glad you could make time to be here for my post
Action really is the name of the game. Excuses bring everything to a halt – but it’s a security net. It allows us to justify inaction so that we’ll feel better. But we know where that road leads….
I particularly like the effect it has when you wrote “Oprah, enough said.” Too, it is interesting that you were able to identify this common mistake that we normally make- to think that we are any different from other people and so use it as an excuse for not succeeding. Keep giving the grate advice you give! Im sure you will be one of the people who will be able to testify of the remarkable experience that results from following such a path, ‘not necessarily dropping out of college though’.
Hey Tamari, what’s up?
We really aren’t that different at all. What distinguishes us may be our respective talents, but we all have the ability to succeed. We all will face difficulties.
I’d like to be someone successful. I just have to value the friends and my family that has helped me thus far… and keep going.
Dropping out of college is NOT an option. See you later
I hear this message and I adhere to it. I have been getting the perfect messages that I needed lately. I have been praying for big things and I believe that God is providing me a way to get to those thing through motivation and…
Yes, taking MASSIVE ACTION on the inspiration that I receive from all of these sources.
Thanks for spreading this message. It came to me at the right time.
Hey Gerlaine, always happy to help! Those positive signs are just what you need to keep moving in the right direction. Like you said, start taking massive action towards the things you wish to succeed in.
Thanks for being here!
I dig the article, John. Great advice.
Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to keep plugging away at your goals, especially in the beginning when you don’t really see much of a result for your effort. But by constantly doing what works over and over again over a period of time, you’ll eventually start to see the fruits of you labor.
-Clayton
Hey Clayton, glad to have you back
Sometimes, it gets hard to keep going, especially for me. Thankfully I have a great support system that consists of great friends and family. But without your own will to act, there can be no success, or failure. Nothing comes of inaction.
Congrats on your financial progress with your blog!
Hey John, great post.. very thought provoking.
I have thispostcard on might bedside table that says: ” Have you started today what you wish to be tomorrow?”
Kind of reminds me of your message here to just go and DO SOMETHING!!
Have a great weekend,
K
Hey Kirsty! How are things in your life?
I need a postcard like that; sometimes we forget that action is extremely important to who we wish to become in the future.
You have a great weekend too!
This article is a blessing in disguise for me. Everything that you talked about in your article was true and I can really relate it to the situation that I am going through now. I am really glad that I found this article. Everyone on this website is so positive and inspiring, and your words inspire to keep pushing and towards my goals.