Be careful who your first heroes are
Tim Ferriss runs one of the world’s best podcasts, is a bestselling author, and was ahead of his time when he published the 4 Hour Work Week.
He is one of few icons of mine.
I consulted his blog a few years ago for guidance about writing a book. What I found disheartened me, shattered me.
Don’t write the book first… your first step is speaking to an agent and a publisher to get a book deal.
I had just spent 18 months writing draft after draft of my book…
Tim is great, I still respect him, but if I had taken that advice, I wouldn’t have co-written 18 & Lost? So Were We.
I see a lot of young people trying to make hacky drop-shipping stores and seduced by influencer and false success icons… people who are trying to make it on Tik Tok, but have no cause or message, or substance.
I could tell you exactly who certain people I know are trying to become. Unbeknownst to them, they’re living their lives like a moth slowly being dragged towards some light or shiny object.
When you’re young, you’re impressionable. I was… and so, you have to guard one thing with your life…
Who you shine a hero’s spotlight on…
Who you put on a pedestal and choose to look up to. Who you want to emulate.
So many of use are opening Doors in the hope that we will at some time find this hero of ours, and find that we have become them.
But that is not your journey. Your journey is to take what you can from those who’ve come before you and stand on their shoulders.
You shouldn’t want to emulate or copy anyone.
It is never healthy to think “I want what he has, the brand, the followers, the awesome life, the beautiful wife”…
No. Greg McKeown said it… focus on what you have, you’ll gain what you lack. Focus on what you lack, you’ll lose what you have.
Be very careful who your first heroes are.
You’ll walk through the Doors of life not realising that you’re really seeking to emulate them, rather than become your own person.
Also see the ugly truth about superman…
Special thanks to Scott Mckeon.
