Real fame comes from within. It is about taking pride in how you do what you do, even when what you do isn’t what you’d like to be doing.

T. Harv Eker puts it more succinctly: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

It is a big mistake to think that anything is beneath you. To move through life with the idea that you will provide first-rate service once you have reached a certain level of success is to miss the whole point; success is the reward for excellence, and excellence requires practice.

Reality show participants notwithstanding, most “overnight successes” are people who have waken up famous day after day, year after year, until a critical mass of enthusiasts puts them in the spotlight. People who wake up famous every day know that time spent looking for shortcuts is time better spent on improving themselves. They have put in the 10,000 hours that Malcolm Gladwell discusses in Outliers: The Story of Success.

Paul Buchheit co-founder of FriendFeed and original lead developer of Gmail says:  “This notion of overnight success is very misleading, and rather harmful. If you’re starting something new, expect a long journey.” 

Recognize that life is a journey and that waking up famous is a choice. Jana Stanfield, whose lyrics appear below, continually celebrates the journey.

Life is a fast train through peaks and valleys
Streets and alleys and countryside
You never know just how far you’re going
The trick is to learn to enjoy the ride.

© Jana Stanfield/Jerry Kimbrough

 

Are you enjoying the ride? What advice would you give to fellow travelers?