Of Fame And Fortune

I've had the blessing of knowing a number of rather well-known, if not famous and rather fortunate people in my life. They run the range from business leaders to writers, actors, painters, directors, news reporters, poets and bloggers. Some are men, some are women.

One is them was Oprah. I got a chance to be on her show after writing a letter to the book club about how much I liked the book selection for that show. I didn't have an inside track, I just wrote a letter. I don't know her at all well, I just know her from this experience. She had one thing in common with all the other successful people I've known. It wasn't anything particularly mysterious. It wasn't a strategy open to a select few -- it's available to one and all. She worked her ass off to get where she was and she is still working very hard.

I've met people who were making millions of dollars, who were recognized by anyone walking down the street. To a one, they shared this same capacity for working very hard. None of them got where they were by luck alone. Most of them got there by getting up early, getting to the place they worked first, before everyone else, working an endless day and often as not, smiling through it and making it look easy. Yes, some had big tempers and some weren't as hard-working as others, but most of them simply faced the fact that in a pinch, hard work, execution and delivery carry the day. Were they lucky? I'd say they made their own luck by working hard. Many err on the side of being friendly and generous and that makes other people want to work with them and for them.

I think of it whenever I have an attack of "they have it better than me-itis" -- I think of the bloggers I know who are on the alleged "A list" and I think of the hours they spend writing, speaking, trekking across the country on airplanes, taking risks and chances with their careers, the time they miss with their families and friends, the way they put themselves on the line continuously by even HAVING an opinion and stating it. There's no mystery to their alleged fame and fortune -- they work for it.