Talent And Work
It’s fun to ride the lightning on raw talent. You’re a natural. No need to work for it or think much about it because you’re that good and it always seems to show up. It’s a thrill. It’s a pure magical mystery. But deep down…you’re desperately hoping it will be there again when you need it. Terrified it might not be. Afraid it might leave and never come back and you won’t know how to get it back.
On the other hand…If you know how to work for it you’re more likely to be able to summon it when you need it. You’ll be able to call upon it. Because you know the pathways. You know the tricks. You know how to conjure it because you’ve worked for it, building it up. You know all the building blocks.
The thing you know how to work for becomes a reliable thing to trade on.
The Right People
Million Dollar Beans
If you offer a toddler a million dollars to eat their lima beans they won’t take the deal.
And it’s too bad because that’s a lot of money…money that could buy any other food in the world.
But toddlers don’t value money. They aren’t playing the game of acquiring money to go buy what they want.
If you want a toddler to eat lima beans you have to get them to want to eat them. Toddlers want fun and excitement and funny faces and silly stories…which can be a lot harder to work up the energy for.
Sometimes I wish they’d just take the money.
The Exciting Part
The most exciting part is when everyone thinks the rocket ship is about to take off…not when you’re at the top, already blasted off into the stratosphere.
The top is easier, more luxurious and more lucrative…but as for excitement…excitement is about potential…just how much is in the powder keg…the fuse has been lit and we’re about to find out.
Anticipating the explosion is always more exciting than talking about it afterwards.
Unlikely Events
I had a fun conversation with a friend today about moments that ended up happening but not how we thought they’d happen. Getting on a tour bus for the first time, recording in a real studio for the first time, playing famous venues, meeting some of our heroes.
A couple things…
-Of course they didn’t happen how we thought they would. Unlikely events are already unlikely. It’s much more likely that an unlikely event will happen not how we thought it would.
-This is not to say you shouldn’t plan. The great part about following a plan, a specific desire and goal is that wonderful unlikely things are much more likely to happen.