I hate it when people say to me "You have such potential!" Let me tell you something. It's awfully hard to get anywhere with anyone when you're not in the position to offer anything of value to anyone else.
Take, for instance, this quote:
"It takes money to make money."
Whoever came up with that one knew exactly what they were talking about. Let's face it, you can't make nothing from nothing. So if you have nothing, you're never gonna get something, therefore leaving you right back where you started. So rule out money.
"Potential" is the equivalent of having five bucks in your pocket that could one day inflate to $500,000 and trying to go to the bus station to get somewhere now. What are you supposed to do in the years it takes your worth to inflate? So we trudge onward.
Here is the message I want you all to take away from this. Please, please, don't tell me I have potential. Instead try, "I'm going to give you your big break." I promise to pay it forward.
Artistic potential isn't there for everyone; neither is the ability to work hard or take constructive criticism. Not to be overly philosophical (did I tell you about my readings of Stoic philosophy last year?)...but I think it's absolutely awesome that people tell you that you have potential. I mean, these people probably read all sorts of literal crap in which they see absolutely no potential. You at least have a strong starting point to which you have even the possiblity of success.
ReplyDeleteEnd of sermon. I'll stand back so you can throw stuff. :)