I Can Handle The Truth
[big]Will I Be Famous[/big]
I had an interesting conversation with a 17 year old boy whom I have been talking with for about two years, having met him on SW's predecessor EP. I know him pretty well, we talk several times a week, and I have helped him through some rough periods in his life.
He asked me whether I thought he would be important some day.
I responded by saying I did not really know what he meant by “important” since that was not something I thought about during my career. He said that to him it meant:
•having my words listened to
•being asked to speak in important conferences
•getting respect
•have lots of meetings
•travel the world for my work
•even small things like having the car door opened for me
Here is my reply to him, which I put here because I think it is something other young guys should think about:
“…. I have done everything on your list except the last. I don't think anyone has opened the car door for me unless it was a porter at a hotel, but if so they did it for everyone. So to answer your question, I don't know whether your character combines "ambition" with the necessary "determination" and "discipline" -- but if so then my answer is yes. But you can't start out with the idea you are going to be important, that is a dream or a wish. The goal must be to be good at whatever you choose to be in life, so good that you are a leader in whatever field you choose, and that will not happen by hoping it works out that way but only by the self discipline to do the work that makes you a leader in whatever field you have chosen. Does that make sense to you?”
I had an interesting conversation with a 17 year old boy whom I have been talking with for about two years, having met him on SW's predecessor EP. I know him pretty well, we talk several times a week, and I have helped him through some rough periods in his life.
He asked me whether I thought he would be important some day.
I responded by saying I did not really know what he meant by “important” since that was not something I thought about during my career. He said that to him it meant:
•having my words listened to
•being asked to speak in important conferences
•getting respect
•have lots of meetings
•travel the world for my work
•even small things like having the car door opened for me
Here is my reply to him, which I put here because I think it is something other young guys should think about:
“…. I have done everything on your list except the last. I don't think anyone has opened the car door for me unless it was a porter at a hotel, but if so they did it for everyone. So to answer your question, I don't know whether your character combines "ambition" with the necessary "determination" and "discipline" -- but if so then my answer is yes. But you can't start out with the idea you are going to be important, that is a dream or a wish. The goal must be to be good at whatever you choose to be in life, so good that you are a leader in whatever field you choose, and that will not happen by hoping it works out that way but only by the self discipline to do the work that makes you a leader in whatever field you have chosen. Does that make sense to you?”
