***FYI, if you are not following what the WGA West is doing with the big agencies, RE: Potentially walking out, you should be***
Jess and I were walking home yesterday and stoped at a crosswalk in which a late 30- something man was dancing around in a chicken costume for El Pollo Loco. Fine this man has to make money, feed himself, fine, thats not my problem here, but, this man spotted us as and instantly identified himself, "I'm an actor, we're the ones who get to do all the crazy stuff."
My heart sank. Yah, is that it is that we do Chicken suit man? really? Dancing in an intersection for minimum wage is something so liberating, and the essence of life? It's worth donating our life to obscurity and mediocrity? I don't believe that sir.
This man sparked my post for today... Because I'd prefer not to see any of you on the corner of Lincoln and Washington in a chicken suit on a Sunday afternoon.
GET AWAY FROM ME MEDIOCRE MAJORITY!
Success is not complicated, it is simply the process of applying the key fundamentals every day. But like financially illiterate peeps who can’t understand how to manage money, or health-illiterate individuals can’t understand how to lose or maintain weight, success can look impossible to achieve.
"Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” -Jake Rohn
It is my assumption that this individual we will refer to as "Chicken Man #1" has a certain comfort level with his lack of achievement, he has come to identify with it, which is why he proclaimed it so presumptively. While anyone can choose to become successful, most people never will. Most people will choose comfort over growth, choose what they know over what they dont. Ultimately, they see the price for true success and say, “ughhh no thanks, chicken suit is cool with me.”
This is one of the most important characteristics of the “mediocre majority” they are unwilling to trade comfort and stability for the pain of wild growth, they want to be with the herd, involve them selfs with obligations and tasks they are beholden to and things they don't need, they ant to complain with the group. I used to work in corporate America, belive me I have seen it all first hand.
Success starts and ends with these key things.
Admit "I dont know"
Stay humble and open to learning
Adopt new habits and eliminate old ones
Work Hard & Smart
Remove toxic people from your life
Learn, Learn, Learn, Learn!
“That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”-Warren Buffet.
WHAT GOT YOU HERE, WON'T GET YOU THERE:
We have all had success in our careers on some level, but like with anything, continuing to do the same things will not change the trajectory of things. Things will stay the same, or perhaps get worse.
"Each phase of your life with require something different of you" -Leonardo Decaprio
Is there more to be done? More training? More opening your self up to experiences and skills and knowledge, more growth, do you need to become more uncomfortable in your professional pursuits? Are you REALLY pushing your self? Are you close to your edge of risk? Are you scared? What are you scared of? Or are you being kinda mediocre, average, doing all the stuff that everybody else does? Falling into that trap were you feel comfortable in your chicken suit?
I could go on and on and on with quotes about hyper successful people who do the work it takes to get to were they are, they broke through at where they were, to where they ARE.
But I'll leave you with a quote from the Fresh Prince, AKA Mr. Will Smith....
“The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill, I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die.” -Will Smith
Will you die in your chicken suit or will you die in pursuit. See what I did there? What is your chicken suit What are you a bit too comfortable with that is preventing you from being your absolutely best? I dont know, but I would encourage you to try to find out, because dancing around peddling $5.99 chicken meal in your late 30's is a bad, bad look....