“Unveiling the Untold Secrets of Success: What ‘Making It’ Really Costs You”
Ever felt like you’re just one viral post away from overnight fame? That tantalizing idea lingered in our minds can often lead us astray, leaving us frustrated as we chase a mirage. The truth is that the path to success isn’t a smooth highway with rest stops; it’s more like a winding trail filled with steep cliffs and hidden obstacles. In this thought-provoking piece, we delve deep into the myth of overnight success, peeling back the layers to reveal how this illusion might be sabotaging your dreams in creative ways. Are we too busy chasing the dream of quick glory, just like that artist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s poignant tale, to see the value in persistence and gradual progress? Let’s explore the hidden truths behind building lasting success and why embracing the journey could be the game-changer you need. LEARN MORE
The myth of overnight success, and why it’s holding you back
J.R.R. Tolkien was a perfectionist — so much, in fact, that he sincerely doubted whether he would finish writing The Lord of the Rings before his death. He mourned all the energy he poured into building an elaborate world and even developing entire languages and cultures, knowing that he had hardly even begun to process the story that burned within him.
To capture his inner turmoil, he wrote a short story titled Leaf by Niggle.
In this story, Tolkien tells of an artist with grand visions. Niggle dreams of painting a magnificent tree, surrounded by a beautiful landscape of forests and mountains — but he gets so caught up perfecting every vein, shadow, and color of a single leaf that he never completes the larger picture. As his life draws to a close, all Niggle has to show for his efforts is a single exquisitely rendered leaf.
After Niggle’s death, the artist is taken to the heavenly realm, where he recognizes a magnificent tree with leaves so perfect that he is moved to tears. In this moment of profound revelation, Niggle realizes that his life’s work, though unfinished and fragmented, had a deeper meaning that he could not fully comprehend until the other side of eternity.
