I’ve thought about this before. It seems as though I have lived my life in phases. Nothing remarkable in that. I don’t mean to make it sound like a discovery. Simply an observation.
I’m not sure I could definitively name all the stages that I’ve gone through. Though I can clearly identify a shift of mindset mainly due to a realization. Yes good things happen but waiting for them to happen with no effort is silly. Pretty much all of my conscious life I’ve been a believer in a mix of destiny and choice. The last little while I’ve been passively letting luck and destiny dictate my success. Some may call me a loser, but by definition a loser is somebody who tries and fails. But I didn’t really try. I just observed.
A few days ago I realized that I have succeeded the most when I was in charge. When I didn’t wait for orders or accept plans. When I made my own plans and went after my goal on my own path. Ever since I was a child, I have always had a pretty good idea of exactly what I want. I’ve never made a really good sheep. So thanks in part to a falling out that I experienced with some of my friends, I’ve began a shift into the next phase.
To use the ideology of Dr. P, “A lion does not ask to be fed. He does not wait to be fed. No! He feasts. He takes what he feels belongs to him.”. Perhaps that is a tad too cliche but I believe it makes its point. Living life passively is almost too easy. Pretty much everything can be written off as it was meant to be. Even though I still feel that some things are just meant to be, the reality is that without effort full potential cannot be realized (perhaps it can but infinite time would be required).
Moreover playing by the book is good and a necessity when you’re young and learning the ropes. Though, sooner or later you’ll have to break the mold. Great artists didn’t become great by following only taught technique. They invented technique. Just like I must invent my own approach.
