Seth Godin has a wispy little post pointing out that the reason more of us do not ride unicycles is because they do not come with training wheels. If they did, more would learn, and thus unicycle sales would boom.
But life has no training wheels. Don't get me wrong, I want training wheels. I want someone to come and show me the way and help me find my balance in my career, marriage, parenting, etc.... But if I wait for that help, I will find myself waiting for a long time.
Take my book for instance. I would love for some publishing expert to have found me and held my hand as I created the text and now to guide me as I find ways to market the product. But half the fun of the project has been the uncertainty. The thrill has come from finding that balance on my own.
Instead, if you want something, just go and do it. Yes, you will fall down and get bruised. But a boo-boo on your knee is not the end of the world. Rather it teaches you just one more way NOT to do something. Get back up and start peddling again.
What makes unicycles so appealing to watch is exactly the fact that so few people do know how to ride them. If everyone reading this knew how to ride a unicycle, then the unicycle would not be a good analogy. Seek out the unique and make it your own, ...and people will notice.
Have A Great Day.
Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com
5 comments:
And maybe it is still not a good analogy to use if you've never tried riding a uni!
Life is not meant to be lived solo and without the help of other people; whether you refer to them as training wheels or friends or networks.
Its a lot harder to get up when you've fallen when there is no one around to help you up.
Jeremy-
thanks for the psot. Yes, friends and a network can and will act as training wheels...and they do make it a lot easier to get up when you fall. HOWEVER, even those of us with the most solid networks are often alone to learn the tough lessons in life. So you can't wait for that help (but you should feel blessed when it is there!!!)
thom
I suppose that when you say 'you' you mean 'we or us'. I'd prefer not to be included in this encompassing 'you' because I honsetly don't see that an 'I' is going to be better off then a 'we'
And maybe that is a networks downfall; a friend base has a much higher capacity for loyalty then a network base.
A network, when built correctly, is a "friend base". However, there are times in life when one has to just go for it (alone). Not often, but it happens. That is when tenacity and belief in self cannot be beat.
I don't think we disagree, as I do believe that other people make it easier to tackle life's problems. I just don't think it works 100% of the time. Sometimes people fall and need to pick themselves up faster than anyone can get to their aid.
As always, thank you for your readership and your input! Tell a friend.
thom
Yeah I guess your right there; sometimes its hard to spot when a correct network becomes a friendship...a bit of a fuzzy line maybe?
Grace and Peace,
-Jer
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