I observed 2 high school superstars travel differing trajectories.
One star chose to develop his skills and became one of the most recognizable basketball players on earth.
The other star tried to rely solely on outworking other players with his natural athletic ability and faded into obscurity.
Skilled people rise to the top of their niche.
Everyone else largely vanishes.
Different Trajectories
Both players I mention actually played on the same high school team. Both players became the national player of the year on the high school level. How rare is that? Both players spent 1 year being college superstars before declaring for the NBA. One player became the 1st pick of the draft. The other player became the 2nd pick of the draft.
Going into the NBA, both players boasted superstar potential but one became a star through skills development while the other became a journeyman by trying to succeed with pure physical exertion. He learned how the NBA seems to be a league of highly skilled players complemented by less skilled players who dissolve into obscurity.
The hard work focused player guarded high school All Americans like John Wall and Andrew Drummond well. Imagine that? He could guard lightning quick point guards and athletic centers equally well. Rare is the player who flashes such desire, will, athletic ability and defensive versatility. However, in the NBA, Wall and Drummond became highly skilled freaks who evolved into all stars while this player relying solely on physical exertion dissolved into the shadows.
The skill-obsessed player gradually became the most skilled guard in the world. He can do everything with the basketball. He developed dribbling and scoring skills previously unknown to basketball.
Skills beat hard work alone.
Mindful practice beats mindless hard work.
The world makes way for skilled human beings. Mindless hard workers fade into toil, obscurity and mediocrity.
Imagine if hard work alone guaranteed you a fortune. Hundreds of millions of humans would become billionaires because people generally work hard. But only a few humans out of 7 billion become billionaires. Why? A few humans generously, patiently and persistently develop their skills through diligent practice over 10, 20 then 30 years. Said few humans:
- become billionaires
- evolve into pro athletes
- become professional singers
- mold the world we experience today
Do you mindlessly work hard?
Pack Mules Work Hard
Pack mules work hard; how does this seem to work for them? Mindless animals work hard to fulfill their function in the Universe. Humans working as mindlessly as pack mules fulfill a similar function. Even though every human being has its place and role, too many people live unhappy, bound lives by being unaware of their hard work consciousness.
Humans liberate themselves by shifting from fear-hard-work thinking to skills development thinking.
Live however you wish to live. No human need concern themselves with being happy, liberated or at peace. But feeling depressed, upset or anxious may signal you rely on extreme physical exertion alone – aka hard work – to try to get by. Shifting from a hard work consciousness to a prosperity consciousness anchored on developing skills feels uncomfortable. Picture yourself living in survival mode for 40 years. How would you feel leaving behind the need to survive to live based on making fun, freeing, trusting choices?
Nudge through these fears. Feel discomfort. Develop skills useful to humanity. Practice. Do something diligently to become clear and confident in that area.
The world makes room for skilled people.
