Monday, January 3, 2011

Every legend was once an amateur

"Every artist was first an amateur." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
You are frustrated because you write, or paint, or sing--with few results. You know people in your craft who make thousands, even millions, of dollars. Why, you ask, are they so successful? What you should ask, rather, is, "Why do I think they have always been so?" Do you think they have been famous & wealthy since the day they picked up their tools of trade? Are you so vain to think that you should be where they are, not having put in the sweat equity they've invested?
I won't deny that natural gifting is what separates the good from the great; not to mention the legends of the arts that only a very small percentage of us will ever join in history. But please don't give up your pursuit of greatness. Always do it to honor (certainly never to dishonor) God. Yes, I have written that we shouldn't overdo our search for excellence in what we do (especially we perfectionists). But to not work at improving ourselves in those areas where God has gifted us will ensure our amateur ranking. Worse yet, we'll fall short of our potential, and we won't experience the joy and fulfillment of being the blessing to others that we were meant to be.

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