The High Road of Success

I stumbled upon the success iceberg a couple of years ago on Instagram. We call it that because it demonstrates the iceberg-like nature of success: everyone sees just a fraction of what really goes down.

Every sees the amazing results, but no one sees the mountain of hard work and effort that happened behind closed doors, the stuff that laid the foundation for success.

Of course, the success iceberg is relatable for successful entrepreneurs who have experienced massive growth with their business and projects.

They've experienced the truth of the iceberg picture. But the success iceberg is not just for them. I believe it's something that anyone can take a look at and be inspired, motivated by.

The success iceberg can also be appreciated by those who feel like they are just 'under the water' so to speak, those who don't feel like they've achieved much success yet, but they know that they've been going through everything else. The success iceberg reminds such ones that success will build soon, and they should never feel alone in the grind.

Since the success iceberg really is so fascinating, I thought we should spend some time looking at each layer of the iceberg as pictured above. This will help us get a heightened appreciation of how much work goes on behind the scenes whenever we see a successful person.

Analysing the Success Iceberg:

When we talk about success, we tend to simply focus on the final achievement, the goal obtained, or the objective reached. This makes sense, of course, because it’s the last thing we remember: that winning touchdown pass, melting off the post-pregnancy weight, or being sworn into political office. It’s just as important, however, to acknowledge the setbacks along the way: the three interceptions prior to that final pass, the diet plans that fell to the wayside, and the elections lost before finally taking that oath.

Rarely does a person reach the pinnacle of success the first time through; triumph occurs when you overcome the obstacles along the way. And when it comes to screenwriting, there are a lot of obstacles. Creating complex characters, developing engaging stories, and implementing screenplay structure can be a University education alone. And then comes mastering the rules of screenplay form and using an original voice to connect with the reader. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor is becoming a successful screenwriter a speedy process. It takes ten years to have overnight success because you must practice the craft: write, and write, and write… and then rewrite. Whether you agree with journalist Malcolm Gladwell’s more cynical outlook that “The first eight drafts are terrible” or concur with “The first draft of anything is shit,” as Ernest Hemingway so poetically put it, the reality is that all good writing demands a lot of work as you do your best to navigate the many mistakes you make along the way.

The screenplay/writer relationship – and it IS a relationship – evolves because writing teaches writing. You just have to do it. But soldiering through the process is no picnic; you’ll be angry, frustrated, confused, and at times you may even want to give up. But quitting is easy; working through the tough times is hard. Don’t expect your first few scripts to be any good. They’re supposed to be bad; that’s how you learn.

Maybe Churchill said it best: “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” So stick to it, and never lose the fire to put words on the page, because it’s worth it. Your passion will endure.

Motivate Your Team!

Give the world the best you have ... it may never be enough ... but give the best you have anyway!

Life is an amazing journey and as you embark on this journey of your life - make a choice. Choose to give the world the best you have. It won't always be easy; but do it anyway.

Life, your life, is an incredible gift and as an individual you have so much to offer the world and yourself. Don't be caged by your fears - either real or perceived; don't be limited by other people's expectations of you and most importantly - don't merely endure this amazing gift of life.

Throughout the journey of your life, you will encounter hopes, dreams, challenges, set backs, new beginnings and the inevitable goodbyes. Yet despite all of this, you must choose to give yourself and the world the best you have.

Give the world the best you have by putting yourself out there and living life. Don't merely be a spectator. Sure, it may be safer, but nothing compares to living life, rather than merely watching it. Yes, it takes guts and daring and a willingness to take risks - but it'll be so worth it - despite the bumps and scratches and bruises that you are sure to receive along the way.

Cherish the amazing relationships in your life and worry less about who may or may not like you. Listen ... really listen to others; have empathy and compassion - strive to always build people up, rather than break them down.

Instead - laugh more, love more, forgive often, smile irrepressibly, be spontaneous and at times even impetuous, cry when your heart is breaking and reach out when your heart is overflowing.

For it is this that will define your life! It is these qualities that will allow you to give the world the best you have!

The people who will make the most difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards and recognition. They are the ones who care.

So, care enough to give the world the best you have and you will be giving the world a tiny miracle - small ... yet hugely significant.

In this episode we will be talking about faith. Faith could be hard to believe in when times are rough, but it will always be there.

In this episode, we will be discussing and solving the problem of believing ourselves, inspiring ourselves, and doubting ourselves.

In this episode, we will discuss smoking. How to remove this disgusting habit, and imagining yourself in the next 10 years.