I’ve heard “do your best” or “give it 110%” or the classic sports version “hustle!” but I don’t remember anyone recognizing that those are relative. 

If I’m too short to dunk a basketball, I may be giving my best but will probably never be giving Michael Jordan’s best.

If I have no sense of rhythm, I may be trying hard to keep count, but will never be giving Fred Astaire’s best.

Then again there are exceptions – if I’m terrible at math, I may or may not be giving Einstein’s best.

But it is the exceptions that I think too many people focus on as the norm – as if it’s easier to expect the same from everyone instead of taking the extra time to direct each person towards their strengths.

Granted, success stories are great inspiration and should be seen as the spirit of tenacity bringing dreams to fruition.  There was a time when Jordan couldn’t make the basketball team, when Astaire was a clumsy kid, and when Einstein flunked math.

A key difference is passion.

I’ve never met any successful person in any walk of life who didn’t work hard to achieve – ignoring nay-sayers, adversity, or just popular opinion.  Successful people aren’t super-human or from a distant planet, they just wanted it badly enough.  Sometimes a special teacher, coach or parent was involved.  Sometimes it was over many years of development.

On the other hand, every successful person I’ve ever met also recognized (or had astute help with recognizing) their destiny - it wasn’t a hopeless dream.  They knew they had potential - even if it didn’t make sense at the time (honestly, have you ever met a really good accountant who knew since childhood?)

And so I offer this challenge to you – are you soaring with your strengths, or trying to fit an Einstein into a Jordan?

Life is too short to try and recognize someone else’s potential and deny your own.  Work towards change starting today!

I have a renewed commitment to listen to my instincts.  I wouldn’t call it a resolution as much as a habit-under-development.  By now most resolutions are starting to fall to the wayside and the act of breaking them is almost as ritualistic as making them in the first place.

I think everyone has that “voice in their head” that has grown from experiences, role models and environment.  Some call it the 6th sense, others call it a conscience.  Reporters call it their “nose” and detectives call it a “hunch.”  Manly men call it their “gut” and womanly women call it “intuition.” More often than not it’s pretty good advice and worth at least listening to, but how many of us ignore the red flags anyway?

A classic example of such folly is a horror movie.  The quintessential hiker lost in the woods finds a creepy house and, despite the music playing, goes inside and takes a shower (WHY?  Can’t they hear the music?) 

I don’t remember a lot of help developing my instincts.  They didn’t even have a class in college for it.   But many agree the first response is the correct one.  I would even challenge you to keep track of decisions based on listening or ignoring them – and see what the success rate of each direction is.

Consider instincts to be the voice of experience.  The older one gets, the more they experience.  Patterns become obvious.   Pop culture is notorious for this.  Pick your favorite fad or movie and go back 10 years to see what was popular then.  You will be shocked at the similarity.

I look forward to your response and comments are welcome.  Although I have a “feeling” you’ll be more focused on your own development and too busy to post.

I’ve never met someone who doesn’t understand the game Limbo.  “How low can you go?” is the mantra.  It’s sometimes used as a metaphor for discipline – tighten the belt, stay strong, hold on tight, keep the faith and other similar transfers.  But I wish to challenge you in a different direction.  Instead of restricting or removing, why not think in terms of limitless possibility? 

Dreaming is a natural part of life.  If you don’t dream when you sleep, you’re dead (literally!) so why not stay “extra healthy” and do it when you’re awake?  Dreamers are good to have around too.  Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious and makes for a positive environment.  In the big picture, there are no real limitations to making certain dreams a reality.  The only “elephant in the room” is the almighty dollar.

In a retail job I held in a former life, I was often told “sales fixes everything” and for most of us, money is the only obstacle to our goals being realized.  It can be formidable and undeniable to be sure, but chance also favors the prepared.  If an attitude of “why not” is adopted, then a plan of action follows.  When the last peg falls into place, it will be met with great momentum. 

I caution you not to be impatient.  Our speed-obsessed, instant-gratification society may scoff at this sentiment, but good things take time.  In my experience, (with hindsight being 20/20) a good result takes the time it needs to take.   All too often I’ve seen that patience was prudence and even if my “final peg” came early, the lack of plan or execution of a plan would have made for disaster.  In the meantime, evolution, refinement and the cultivation of new ideas can occur.  

So take some regular time to raise your own bar and see what happens.  I think you’ll find a new measure of success – and that it suits you!

On the viability of an idea, a wise man once told me: “I take every good idea and blow holes in it.”  It sounded pretty insane to me at the time.  Everyone has a bit of self-consciousness, even an inferiority complex to a certain degree.  Why develop that?

Negativity is never in short-supply.  You don’t need to encourage anyone to criticize you – most will even do it for free.  I have never met any successful people in any walk of life who didn’t meet with a great deal of adversity in some form.

But then I looked at his method from a self-preservation perspective.  He would pretend to completely hate what he created, and what was left was what was worth developing.  He wasn’t being his own worst enemy, he was being prepared.  By refining the idea, he was ready with the right answer to any potential glitch.  If chance favors the prepared, then it should be impressed as well.

So despite my creative nature, I will develop my business sense to include a dispassionate counsel.  A refined idea meeting a practical application beats blind ambition meeting a bird cage floor.

I enjoy teaching – mostly from the clinging hope that I inspire a child.  It staggers the imagination that their experience with me may also strengthen their resolve to be the next great leader, inventor, artist or patron.  

I received such inspiration throughout my childhood.  My parents introduced me to family and friends who could be such positive influences.  While neither was an artist per se, they found the right direction to keep me encouraged.  In the spirit of paying it forward, many of my posts to this blog should serve as advice and direction to other parents seeking the way.

But still there are folks who just don’t get it.  Sadder still are those who think they do and are horribly misinformed.  Encounters with those people are painful.

Case in point – I recently taught a class in abstract expressionism, focusing on Jackson Pollock.  If you know anything about him and his work, you know to explore the medium requires paint clothes.  I planned a version using large sheets of paper and crayons.  

The experience was still filled with energy, music, and little dancing artists.  The lines were expressive, uninhibited and everyone had a great time.   Even more encouraging was that they all understood the idea!

Then the parents showed up. 

“I paid $(class fee) for scribbles on paper?”

“What is this?”

Or the neutral “That’s nice.  No, you can’t put that up anywhere.”

The children’s faces were like a needle scratching across a record.  In one fell swoop the entire lesson and its inspiring message were destroyed.  Now the children were a product of their parents and some even looked at their artwork with disdain.

From a customer service perspective I wanted everyone to be happy.  That was impossible.  Regardless of the scant (and not profitable – we don’t see kids as dollar signs) fee they paid, they expected greatness.

From an educators perspective, I wanted to enlighten.  Their minds were closed and locked.  Regardless of the preceding hour and the creative ride they experienced, they were now “leaving the park.”

From a parent’s perspective, I wanted to nurture (or maybe re-nurture in this case.)  With what time?  A bad teacher can impact a student negatively for up to 4 years.  How much more can a bad parent?

It begs the question, what does such a person expect?  What do they understand?  Do you judge the penmanship of your child’s math homework as well or just check for the right answer?  It is the experience and the education – NOT the perceived value of the result. 

In short, judgements need not apply here.  Your child is not going to create master-level work in 45 minutes!

But in the face of such ignorance, I carried on.  I exercised “verbal judo” and responded confidently – and without interest in their opinions or asking for further feedback.  I stood in my role to enrich the child’s life with the class and I was successful.  I would not be a control freak beyond the experience.

I share this painful experience because I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience.  The spirit of creation takes a black eye and you can hardly believe what you’re hearing.  In the fragile ecosystem of art it’s enough to make many admit defeat.

But I also offer encouragement to you.  Great and successful people in all walks of life have similar encounters.  What makes them great and successful is the will to continue.  Know that you are in a minority and that in itself if rare and special. 

Maintain your tenacity and this too will be relegated to a memory with influence but not to incapacitate – to motivate.