Life Lessons (So Far)
A Few Thoughts From A Glorified Clown.
You’ve been warned.
I get asked to do quite a few school career days. It is not lost on me that most kids attend hoping to simply see “magic tricks” but I also try to communicate to them some of the lessons I’ve learned that goes with the extensive amount of work that goes into my job that has nothing to do with performing or “magic tricks.” Having effectively been self-employed since the age of 13, with varying degrees of success at different times, I’ve gone through an unorthodox journey of trial and error.
I wanted to take some time and explore what I would really tell these kids in detail for the ones who want to be successful, should I really have the chance. After really putting some thought into the topic, in its simplest form, it boils down to this:
Fail Faster
There are no regrets, just lessons. Among the milestone lessons I have on the fireplace mantle within my mind, there are far more failures than successes. There is an old adage that success is a poor teacher. Go fourth with your best efforts and intentions, but be ready for it to all go awry. Pick yourself up and realize what lesson you just collected, put it on your mantle move forward, being sure to learn from it.
Be Kind to Yourself
It is very easy and entirely natural to be upset and down on yourself when a failure within the previous topic ultimately occurs. Take a moment, realize that the world is not falling apart around you and get some perspective by realizing that there are others with “real” problems. It tends to be the default setting for us to fixate on what has gone wrong, which causes us to forget about everything that is right in our lives and where we are fortunate. When you’re upset, count your blessings.
Act With Conviction and Integrity
The previous item is much easier when you have conducted yourself in a way that can be completely scrutinized. That’s not to say that you won’t make mistakes, in fact, as already stated, you’re going to, but be able to demonstrate that you did it with a clear conscious. There have been instances where I had been accused of completely false actions and because they could absolutely not be proven, the other party suffered major consequences. Always operate like someone is looking over your shoulder.
Realize The These Are The Good Old Days
It’s hard to believe when so much of your focus is on the future that these are the times—when maybe you haven’t accomplished what you planned yet—that you will have fond memories for. Remember the “Be Kind To Yourself” bit and take time to be present in the moment and grateful for what is. Things will change, you will grow, but create moments you’d be happy to say were part of your story. Sometimes there will be phases that you have to overcome, but remember to count your blessings at the same time while you remember that it’s just that, a phase. Celebrate the small victories. If you are goal oriented, it’s very difficult to realize what you’re accomplishing in the moment to take steps to your ultimate destination.
The Destination Can Change
“You make plans, God laughs.” NOTHING has turned out like I planned and I’m so grateful for it. Ultimately what we think we’re pursuing is given a rosy false projection when it comes to the final outcome. Be a realist, see how things are developing, be able to accommodate and pivot.
Learn Everything
Notice what the people around you are doing and learn it. Realize what you need and learn it. You would not believe the skillsets and aptitudes that I have developed out of not only necessity, but also the desire to be self-sufficient. Don’t be dependent on others when it comes to accomplishing what needs to be done. When they fall off, be able to pick up the slack. In this case, you need to be a little selfish, but it’s ideal to never depend on someone who has a skillset that you don’t. It’s rare now that I work with someone who does a job that I haven’t done. You will soon learn that most people are bad at their job and that some successful people are simply good at explaining why they are. Be the highest performer in the room….city…state…
Being in a creative field, exposure to new ideas and others’ work is the lifeblood of resources and inspiration that fuels new content for routines or other pieces. A life lacking in any sort of stimulation is a death sentence for any performer or talent.
This is also intended to communicate that you should learn the lessons others have already gone through and laid out. History is full of examples of people who are going through similar situations that you might find yourself in or have accomplished similar goals that you have. Many historical, successful and pop-culture figures have also been honest with their mistakes, the byproducts they caused and what they had to do to overcome them. Hopefully you’re smart enough to learn from their experiences without having to go through them.
Ask For Help
At the same time, while working on being self-efficient and developing your skillsets, realize when you need to reach out and ask for some assistance and know when to delegate for a more efficient use of your time and take some of the weight off your shoulders—never all of it! Pressure makes diamonds, after all. You don’t have to carry the burden alone and no one successful does. Steve Jobs was an obsessive perfectionist visionary but he also developed the most successful company of all time, with thousands of people with different specialties in different departments doing different jobs within Apple.
People Cannot Read Your Mind
One of the hardest things to learn is that not everyone can grasp what has to be done to reach where you’re trying to get to. The process is rough and unpredictable, so set expectations and communicate what needs to be done step-by-step.
Shut Up and Get To Work
I’m going to follow my own advice and I’m not even going to spend the time explaining this one. “Those who know, don’t talk. Those that talk, don’t know.” - Aristotle