Writing isn’t easy. No job is, in fact. If it is, you’re doing it wrong or you’re in the wrong one.
Trying to get back to my blog after all this while has been a fine example of what happens if you’re not putting all your heart into something. It just doesn’t work. You may be making a ton of money or a hell lot of good progress – but if your heart is not in it, at some point it’ll fall apart – either you’ll simply forget about it, or it’ll go down the drain, or million other reasons.
Look around you – there’s excellence everywhere and it doesn’t come cheap. For example, look at the Academy Awards. They’re nothing new and have been organised every year since 1929 – that’s more than your and my age combined, unless you’re 64 or older, in which case, thank you for your attention as you must have far more wisdom than I possess.
Getting back to the topic, the Academy Awards every year celebrate the best in movie making across various categories and specializations. Most of the people who win the golden statuette are already well to do in the world. So why do they cry, or get emotional when they are awarded?
Because that award is an absolute recognition of their excellence and they’ve worked themselves to hell and back to get it. Nothing less would ever work.
So every time you slack off – think about the Oscars. Think about all the people, who slacked off and didn’t make it to the nominations – or even the red carpet. Think of all the people, who were sitting in their living rooms, thinking about their dreams from 20 years back, only to switch the TV off and leave for their 9to5 job. Then, think about those who didn’t.
“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.”
– Sylvester Stallone, perhaps the strongest example of never-giving-up in my heart.
Think about all those who tried for years, slept on the footpath, got thrown out by their families, went hungry and underfed for weeks, faced rejection in every possible way only because they believed that they could make it big. Nobody gave them an insurance or a fallback – they went all out for it. There was no job security or gratuity involved – only their own personal belief that kept them going – till they reached the biggest stage in the world.
Until you’re burnt out, don’t stop lighting fires.
Until you’re broken to pieces, don’t stop hitting back as hard as you can.
Until you’re drowned and dead, don’t stop diving into the big blue ocean of opportunity.
Nothing less will work.
Arnab Mukherjee 