Influencers

Let me tell you something you already know.

The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!

– Rocky Balboa

The idea is to keep moving forward – each branding / logo design engagement is better than the previous one – so good that a client who got a logo designed from me earlier, now wants me to re-design it for him and pay me for it. THAT good.

I don’t usually bitch about or point fingers to claim that I couldn’t do something because of someone else but I do have some familial influences and I rue the fact that I never really had a mentor / someone who was in the same profession & saw my potential & encouraged me. I need to get over these two thought streams.

The 10,000-hours rule says that if you look at any kind of cognitively complex field, from playing chess to being a neurosurgeon, we see this incredibly consistent pattern that you cannot be good at that unless you practice for 10,000 hours, which is roughly ten years, if you think about four hours a day.

– Malcolm Gladwell

I am also a believer in Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours. Especially because branding design and photography are fairly complex cognitive fields.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

– Coach Carter Quotes

3 comments

Ranjan says:

September 19, 2010 at 10:19 pm

To me, u’re already a successful designer. But in any case, all the best for liberation from the limiting thoughts (Familial influences and lack of mentors) that will make you a much bigger star!!

Wd be happy to know yr action steps in liberating yrself from these thoughts. B’cause I can use them too. 🙂
1. Naina says:
  
  September 19, 2010 at 11:06 pm
  
  Ranjan, thank you for the encouragement – success varies – depends on perspectives and each person’s definition can be different. I’ve done pretty good but I don’t feel like I’m *there yet. Not only in terms of being famous but also in terms of level of skill – always learning. I don’t know what my action steps are going to be – although each time I think like this, I tell myself to stop & think about what is good about my life. Being married to a great guy also helps tremendously – in my case. I do have a couple of mentors now – not in the design field but generally in business / life and interactions with them are invaluable. Wait, there’s just one actually. Which is better than good enough.
Andy Rutledge says:

September 20, 2010 at 5:22 pm

Great stuff, Naina. I do want to point out that the last quote you used (re: Coach Carter) is by Marianne Williamson from her “A Return to Love.”

Keep doing what you’re doing.
Andy