Honor Your Path
It can be driving a car, fixing a dishwasher, giving a presentation, or painting a watercolor — new is difficult. If you haven’t done something before, you’ll fumble a bit on your way forward.
“Every artist was first an amateur.” — Emerson
Learning the tools and honing your approach requires some effort, but technical challenges are just the beginning. The interesting work comes after basic proficiency is in place. What will you do with your skills? Where will you take us? What course will you chart?
Blazing a new trail brings great risk. If you attempt this at a big company, you’re pushing beyond established norms. Any act of divergent creation is tantamount to shaking your fist at the establishment. The immune system soon notices and marshalls antibodies to protect the host organism. If you’re at a small company, buy-in comes easier, but you’ll lament the lack of resources and brand attention. If only people knew how amazing your product was!
Ok, the easy answer then — go it alone. Problem solved. Well, not so fast. Even if you decide the life of a solo artist, you aren’t alone on that ride — like every creator, you’ll face what Stephen Pressfield calls “The Resistance”. The Resistance will be there at every turn to remind you that you’re not special and that there is someone else better qualified to do the thing you’re doing. Who are you to break the mold after all? Back in line!
The question is not if the Resistance will appear, but rather, will you listen? How can your little voice triumph against such a powerful foe? Who are you, really?
Perhaps that is why we are in awe of those who break free. The ones who win the battle against themselves, finding their way through the impassable to reveal who they are, to themselves, and the timid observers alike. We know just how rare that is because we have painfully turned away from ourselves so many times.
To decide what kind of person you are, and despite everything the world says to you, to stand tall in the storm. This accomplishment is amazing indeed, but perhaps it’s more than that — perhaps it’s an act of self-compassion. A victory of long term vision over short term comfort.
“Let your freak flag fly.” — Jimi Hendrix
Maybe that’s the lesson? The icons we admire held fast — somehow sheltering their internal fire in its precarious infancy until they could warm themselves. They unplugged from the social fuel of normalcy — of fitting in. They got off the grid.
“It’s a truly lucky man who knows what he wants to do in this world, ’cause that man will never work a day in his life. But there are a few, precious few and hell I don’t know if they’re lucky or not, but there are a few people who find something they have to do. Something that obsesses them. Something that if they can’t do it, it’s gonna drive them clean outta their mind.” — Carroll Shelby in Ford V Ferrari
Only after passing this simple test will the world eventually come around. The odds are low, and the risk great, so we reward those that commit to the path. We marvel at them, we celebrate them — awestruck. Ironically, only by shunning society does society accept them. If you have this fire inside, you know. You also know that some days it will feel less precious gift, and more torment, but stick with it.
“I don’t think you’d necessarily want to be me. I don’t think people would like it that much. It’s very hard to turn it off.” — Elon Musk
Honor your path.
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