Everyone is weird
I often wonder: what are heroes like in real life? When they are put in front of cameras, with spotlights bright enough to grow pineapple in Norway, microphones the size of lightsabers, and enough makeup that lasts through a sandstorm, they all look fantastic! They all have inspiring stories and success theories to rival Aristotle. They are human magnets for applause and admiration.
But what happens once they step off the spotlight? What are they like? Personally, I know celebrities who don’t know what the square root of 8 is (it’s 2 if you are wondering), I know motivational speakers lose their shit at the drop of a hat, and I know bestselling authors whose family is so broken they don’t know their kids at all.
We often confuse success with high character and discipline. The people who achieve them must be better than the regular joes.
But the fact is, they are just like you and me, flawed, chaotic, and are often filled with complication and indecision.
If you are reading this email and think I am some sort of hero or success, just to let you know: I am a mess half of the time. I am undisciplined, get distracted all the time, and often forget what I just said to Tracy. I was the same guy before and after my first stint with fame. And I am on an airplane now and just misfired in the lavatory (I cleaned it up good, don’t worry).
Wait, what? Tracy just told me the square root of 8 is not 2. It’s 2.83. See…
Anyway, all I am trying to say is that everyone is a mess and is pretty weird, no matter what they look on the outside. But the difference between successful people and regular people is output, whether business outcomes or artistic creations.
If you want to achieve success, don’t overanalyze your shortcomings. Don’t worry about what’s holding you back. Just do shit. Create, make things happen. That’s why we have the Sisyphi camp, to make all of us productive.
When you have productive inputs, you will give yourself a chance for successful outputs. And when you have the outputs, no one cares about your flaws.