Stuff successful people said

I stumbled upon an interesting article this morning called 20 Best Pieces of Advice from 20 Top Executives. This features words of wisdom from people who have been successful (or, more specifically, made lots of money) in business. It contains lots of really inspiring quotes about perseverance, determination, believing in yourself, and all that. One thing about it threw me off, though. The first line of the article asks the question, “who doesn’t want to climb the ladder of success to that private high-rise corner office in the sky?”

Answer:  me.

So, does that mean that this article isn’t really for me? I don’t really want to climb to a private high-rise corner office. Unless you count the spare bedroom that we’ve converted into an office. It is on the second floor, so I suppose in our house, that’s as high-rise as it gets. I just want to be able to write from anywhere. With that in mind, I decided to create a small list of of inspirations from people who are my personal heroes.

 

1.  JK Rowling

In her speech to the Harvard’s graduating class of 2008, she said,

“I was convinced that the only thing I wanted to do – ever – was write novels. However, my parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds, and neither of whom had been to college took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that would never pay a mortgage or secure a pension. I know the irony strikes with the force of a cartoon anvil now….” .

In the same speech she said,

“Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena where I believed I truly belonged. I was set free because my greatest fear had been realized and I was still alive. And I still had a daughter whom I adored. And I had an old typewriter and a big idea.”

This woman probably inspires me more than any other person. She has created a captivating, moving, and fantastically interactive story world. Though achieving her goal of writing did not come easily, she had the determination to do what she knew she was created to do. Her determination to do what she loves – write – is so inspiring! The part that really gets me is that she says she stopped pretending to be anything other than what she knew she was. Society, friends, family, or other usually well-meaning folks often tell us to pursue the normal path of school – job – family – money – retirement. Yet, they don’t always consider that we might find our way to happiness on a different path.

Message: Knowing yourself well enough to know what you truly want to do is as important as the determination to pursue it.

 

2. Elizabeth Gilbert

Ted Talks are chock-full of great food for thought. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, Committed:  A love story, and other books gave a talk about success and creativity. She said,

“Is it rational? Is it logical that anybody should be expected to be afraid of the work that they were put on this earth to do?”

She explains that when she was young, and first began to tell people that she wanted to be a writer, they would respond by saying horrible things like, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll never have any success? Aren’t you afraid the humiliation of rejection will kill you? Aren’t you afraid that you’re going to work your whole life at this craft and nothing will ever come of it and you are going to die on a scrap heap of broken dreams with your mouth filled with bitter ash of failure?”

Okay, well, I’m guessing that the part about bitter ash was hyperbolic, but this is the message she got. I find that this is the reaction faced by many people who want to pursue something that doesn’t fall within the realm of the accepted safe route to success. Why is that? Why is failure so scary? I had an interesting thought about this the other day – I thought, if I fail as a writer, then I will have to re-evaluate my entire concept of self worth. Yikes! But that’s getting a bit off topic.

Message:  Yeah, we are all afraid of the potential for failure, but it’s usually part of the journey to success, so we should probably get over it. Further, if you let failure cripple you, then you are making the choice not to pursue your own passions.

 

3. Dustin Peterson

Dustin is friend and a former colleague. He is also the editor and founder of an awesome website called The Newton Apple. In a post about how he has shaped his ideas about career, he quoted his dad:

“There’s always room at the top for those who love what they do.”

In a post about pursuing passion, he said:

“Too often we look at vocation as a quest to find the quickest way to the gravy train; after all, money can be a tangible measure of success. I truly believe, though, that those who eventually succeed, and lead others, are those who do what they were meant to do instead of what they think will bring success.”

Just about every day, I think about the concept of defining success by doing what one feels called to do. I have such a strong need for authenticity in my life that I have a hard time imagining doing anything that does not feel like an expression of who I am. Every time I read a post on Dustin’s blog, I feel challenged to be more honest with myself and to really parse out what my vision of success looks like.

Message:  Do what you love. Be authentic about it.

 

4. Mark Twain

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

This doesn’t really speak to success directly, but here is what I pull from this quote:  Part of endeavoring to succeed at something is being willing to take risks. More than that, he implies that taking risks can allow you to explore new facets of your own being. Life can be quite an adventure if you’re only willing to live it!

Message:  Don’t miss opportunities. Don’t spend your life parked in one spot. Stretch yourself to discover what you’re really made of.

 

5. Jane Austen

“Success supposes endeavour.”

Jane Austen has written some fantastic, timeless novels that provide excellent, and often humorous, commentary on human nature. I always endeavor to make observations about humanity, but I certainly have not reached the level of expertise that she has. However, I shall continue to practice.

Message:  If you are going to succeed at something, you have to try!

 

Choosing your definition of success is a very personal endeavor. As I compiled this list, I was a little surprised that most of the people who inspire me are authors. I don’t know why I was surprised. I aspire to write. I admire the work that authors do to engage people’s imagination, to challenge them to believe in a world that is different from our own, to develop an understanding of human interaction and feeling.

 

Who you identify as successful can give you a little insight into your own definition of success. Being successful for me would mean having the ability to write something that people can interact with, think about, and enjoy. Underpinning that would be me being my authentic self.

 

Try it out. Who do you think of as successful? What pieces of advice or wisdom appeal to you? How can you use that to increase your understanding of your own personal description of success?

Challenge of the week:  Create your own collection of advice from people who are successful. Identify people who inspire you – who make you believe in your own ability to succeed. Who are they? Why do they inspire you? Share your responses in the comment section!

 

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