There is a certain fear that manifests from staring at a blank laptop screen -- not knowing what to put down, not knowing if an idea will ever occur to me. All I can think about, no matter how hard I try, is everybody and everything but the task I am trying to accomplish. Even though I know it is ridiculous to even imply that I will receive a lack of love or care if I turn out a so called "bad" piece, I just can't seem to ever shake that feeling of exasperation for praise and approval. Why do I constantly feel the need to impress? As I have been told, that reason may take me years to figure out.
Although sometimes I wish this quality was not a part of me, there's something to be said for high expectations. They force you to constantly do your absolute best, allowing you to keep moving forward. Sure, superior presumptions can result in pretty painful let-downs, but wouldn't you rather be left knowing that you set the bar high? After all, this is how the world's most successful people are born. Too often we assume that they were thriving from the start. However, we couldn’t be more wrong. Some of the most intelligent and influential people our world has ever known started out "staring at a blank screen", living many unsuccessful years, and pondering at lengths end to come up with an ingenious idea that would change mankind forever.
Albert Einstein was a brilliant man that was confused with being born great, but in reality lived most his life with a very unpromising future. In fact, Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven -- around three years later than the average learning curve for children. Because of his late blooming, Albert's teachers and parents assumed he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Him being the scholarly misfit he was, Einstein was expelled from school as a result of constant daydreaming and a horrendous attitude. To add onto his growing list of failures, Albert was refused admittance into the Zurich Polytechnic School, a private college preparatory school, and when he finally got in, he cut class so frequently that borrowing notes was the only way Albert passed his exams. Eventually, in 1905, Einstein's thinking finally went to good use. After completing his doctoral dissertation, he published four extremely successful articles -- one of which explained the world renowned special relativity. The special relativity was a revision of the fundamentals of Newtonian physics. This led to a new understanding of the unity of space and time. As part of the theory, Einstein worked out the famous equation E=mc2 demonstrating the relationship of mass and energy. It might have taken Albert a bit longer, but most would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.
Another man that essentially went from zero to hero was Steve Jobs. If you haven't heard of his name before, you most likely have at least heard of his company or possibly even own one of his inventions. Steve Jobs was the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc. Just like Albert Einstein, Jobs was not born recognized for what he is known for today -- a sublime inventor and technology genius. Steve had to fight through many hardships to earn his position he obtained in the workforce from the day he was born. Jobs birth parents had him when they were still college students; the unmarried couple had years of school left and knew parenting was definitely not something they could fit into their busy schedules. As a result, they put Steve up for adoption and eventually found him a family. Paul Jobs, the father of Steve's new family, was a machinist for a company that made lasers. He taught his son rudimentary electronics and how to work with his hands. This clearly influenced his career path, along with the after-school lectures at the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) he frequently attended during his high school years. Later Jobs was hired to work summer shifts for the company along with Steve Wozniak -- the man who eventually founded Apple Inc. Following high school graduation, Steve Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, dropping out after just one semester. Even so, he continued to take classes at Reed while sleeping on the floor in friends' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and receiving weekly free meals at the local temple. Steve was far from becoming the profitable business man we know today, but in 1974 everything changed; opportunities were starting to open up for Jobs. Steve took an occupation as a technician working for a manufacturer of video games -- his first step towards building a world renown electronic empire called Apple Inc.
Another hardworking individual who became extremely famous as a result of her dedication, determination and imagination is J.K Rowling. Joanne is widely recognized for her devotion and persistence to rise from living on the streets, to becoming one of the most well known author's in the world. Similar to Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs, J.K Rowling was originally a hopeless, oppressive character with a very ambiguous future. The start of Rowling's grieving period began shortly after her high school years when Rowling's mother passed away, tragically bringing disappointment and depression into her life. Before Rowling published the series of Harry Potter novels, she was nearly penniless. Joanne also struggled with being severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school, and writing a novel. Even with her many setbacks, Rowling sprouted a tremendous growth progressing from just barely surviving, to depending on welfare, to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and perseverance.
As you can see, not everyone who is on top today got there with success after success. More often than not, those who are remembered best were faced with numerous obstacles that forced them to work harder and show more persistence than others. Next time I am feeling unaccomplished, "staring at a blank screen", or simply discouraged by my failures , I will have these three famous people in mind to remind myself that sometimes failure is just the first step towards success.
This piece is excellently written, and simultaneously thought-provoking. The author's note, to start with, is exactly what the author's note is supposed to be; it is an insight to the mind of the author, and allows us to see a glimpse into the process you used to create the piece.
ReplyDeleteThe structure of the writing, especially the early bits, is sophisticated, and stylish. The way you use the syntactic devices in combination with unique, affective vocabulary, are the elements that are now quite yours. As soon as I can read a writer's work and recognize their style, it is a tell that the writer is truly advanced.
As far as the content goes, I found the argument compelling. I would add though that you should include your sources so that the validity or actually the voracity of the facts can't fall into question.
You know, part of the original discussion this may be a follow up to, which I clearly recall, covered the notion of external validation. If I am right, and this writing is the result of that conversation, then I would have to add my own take on your thesis; one of the qualities these great people have in common is none of them were motivated by external validation. Each person simply pursued with deep, driving passion, what their interests guided them to learn, discover, and develop. It is only when we free ourselves to think truly for ourselves that we can then see new opportunities and possibilities. My point has always been to try to ask students to disregard the external validation, and rise to an internal motivation, one that speaks to the higher calling we all may hear if we stop to listen. If, however, we can only hear the approval or disapproval of others, we can never hear the inner voice that calls us to dedicate out work towards a higher ideal. I'm not sure any of that made sense, but let me know what you think.