One Apple A Day #981 - forget the lines
I love to read the stories of remarkable people. Not to learn what they did so I can do the same. But to remind me what we are all capable of.
Mechanically doing what they did, it's pointless.
We are not them, and we are not in their circumstances.
How often do you read articles saying, "do what her or his has done and become successful"?
Did it ever work?
There are so many variables involved in the success of someone or something, many of which we don't know.
The belief that by mimicking some of them, we can get the same result is a comfortable lie.
The biggest lesson we can learn from the lives of remarkable people is that they didn't have a model; they created their way forward.
If you give children some colouring drawing, they will probably do a great job. They will use their creativity to pick up some original colours, and by staying within the lines as much as they can, they will produce the expected artwork. Very practical and efficient.
If you give them a blank sheet, you don't know what you'll get at the end. You may get something really messy, but it could also be the most creative and fantastic piece of art.
It's great to read the stories of successful people to find inspiration. But if you colour between their lines, you'll get only a good copy if you're lucky. Instead, forget the lines, take a blank sheet and create your own unique piece of art.