"It takes twenty years to become an overnight success." Eddie Cantor (comedian, actor, and radio personality) said that many years ago. I'm sure he was speaking sarcastically, but I think it's one of the very true aspects of life. We've all seen shooting stars in celebrity, where suddenly someone is every place you look. A recent example would be Jim Carrey. Here's a guy who spent years upon years slogging through the pits, achieved a bit of celebrity on a television show, and then skyrocketed into view after the "Ace Ventura" movie came out. I heard a story that ten years prior to that movie he'd written himself a check for a million dollars, signed and dated near to when he contracted to do the movie "The Mask." -- note, he earned ten million on that movie alone. Lots and lots of hard work, to suddenly be noticed.
Another old saying is: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice." I've read that studies show experts in any field have generally about 3,000 hours of practice behind them. Yes, talent does factor in, but practice and self-discipline make up the majority of what most call "natural talent." Larry Bird (a competitor during Michael Jordan's time) in basketball said he had no talent at all, but his immense skill was the sole result of practice.
It's easy to see a sudden celebrity and wish the same upon yourself, but reality rarely awards those flights of fancy. The truth is, if you want success you'll need to earn it through hard work, determination, and an ability of never giving up. You choose the level of your success by remaining steady, dropping lower, or pushing harder. The old buyer's saying is especially true here, "You get what you pay for."
I urge you all to seek greater and dream bigger. Why settle for less than your best?
- M
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