The cot of greatness

The Cost of Greatness A word we throw around all the time is “difficult”. How difficult will the journey be? How hard is it going to be to succeed? This is more or less asking: Is a desirable outcome likely? We're asking if it is worth our time. Right? If something is difficult, we associate that with a low probability of success. But that's not the right way of looking at it. If you want something enough, “difficult” becomes your best friend. It’s your greatest asset. And this is: one, because of the growth that comes with it but two, because very few people are willing to chase it down. The reality is, most people are average. And that's just looking at the definition of the word. Right? If everyone was great, greatness wouldn't mean anything. There's something special about it. It’s unique. It sets people apart. We generally live amongst people, places, and expectations that make up everything we know. That's our normal. That’s our box. But what's particularly interesting, is that the people we celebrate, the accomplishments we admire, they go far beyond this sort of confined view of the world. So where is the line? Something is weird. It's abnormal. It's looked down upon until suddenly it's not. You snap your finger and it's cherished. That guitar player practicing 15 hours a day. It's lame. They don't have a real job. They're not contributing anything to society. And then he or she puts out an album that revolutionizes music and they're a hero. The whole thought process is counterintuitive. And that's why the words “difficult” and “great" are so closely related. Not because it's physically stressful, but because “great” comes with a hefty mental price tag. “Difficult” means you are consistently doing what the average, normal, and unspectacular deem to be too great a sacrifice. They're not asking if it can be done. They're not asking if it’s possible. What they are really asking, what they want to know is if they have to break through everyday normality to achieve a result. Do we have to make ourselves uncomfortable? Do we have to give more than we normally would? Do we have to be better than we were yesterday? If that answer is yes, the vast majority say “thank you, but no thank you”. And that's where defining opportunities open up. “Great” means you have the desire to set yourself apart. “Difficult” means you have the dedication and the drive to do the little things no one else wanted to do. There is nothing miraculous about “greatness”. It is not divine. It is not incredible. It's simply seeing the word “difficult” as a staircase instead of a brick wall. It means you get the opportunity to both give more of yourself and get more from the world. It is your secret door, your passageway. If the incremental progress, the growth, and the sacrifice are worth the prize, “easy”, “difficult” and everything in between fades away. The only thing worth a second of your time is making sure that every step you take points you in the direction of where you want to be most.