We often view the success others experience, especially successful people of any type, through rose-colored glasses that make their life look easy and truly perfect.

“If only we could have it easy like them,” we think to ourselves.

This is a fallacy.

Most successful people, from every walk of life, have walked a challenging journey to get where they are.

They have overcome obstacles and, in most cases, continue to overcome obstacles. Just because we do not see the challenges does not mean the challenges are not there.

Such has been the journey of musician Jason Lyle Black.

Known as “The Backwards Piano Man,” Black is an award-winning pianist, composer, entertainer, and speaker with over 30 million views worldwide for his music videos. He’s played around the world and is widely known for his performance on the Ellen Show.

But it wasn’t always this way. 

Even after pursuing his dream for several years, as he shares in this LinkedIn post, he called it quits.

“From 2009 to 2012, I worked tirelessly while in school to try to establish myself as a career musician. I spent endless hours–my summers, nights, and weekends–working to produce and market YouTube videos, to very little effect. 

“In fact, after producing 60 videos for YouTube, plus three more full-length studio albums… I decided to quit the music business. I closed in 2012 and became a CPA.”

Imagine what it must have felt like to give up on your dreams after all those years!

“It was difficult to sweep my dreams and passions under the rug, but I got to the point where I believed it just wasn’t possible. There was some “luck” I didn’t have. I had spent so many years on this goal; it wasn’t going to happen.”

But then something changed, and this is the point to grasp on to.

“Two years later, though, feelings about entrepreneurship and music began to “bubble back up” to the surface. I got back into music as a hobby. A year later, I quit my career as a CPA to again “pursue the dream.”

PICKING UP DISCARDED DREAMS

We have probably each had dreams we have discarded. What will happen if we pick them back up? Will success eventually come? Or will we turn around and discard them again?

The exciting truth is, we get to decide, just as Jason Black decided.

“If you are struggling with your own dreams and ambitions, stay the course. Get the right mentors. Be patient. Stop comparing yourself to others. Point yourself in the right direction, and work smart, not just hard.”

STAY THE COURSE

The truth about success truly is getting up every day, working hard, and sticking with it.

And Seth Godin agrees.

Writing yesterday on the sixteenth anniversary of his daily blog, “give or take,” Seth said, “It turns out that showing up is a great way to find new ideas…

“It’s easy to come to the conclusion that someone’s generous or inspired and so they do the work. But it’s more likely that doing the work makes you generous or inspired.”

Jason Lyle Black discovered it. Cool musician name, by the way!

And Seth Godin teaches it every day, as illustrated by 16 years of writing every day. While we’re at it, awesome mentor name!

Speaking of sticking with it, the Monday Morning Boost has surpassed eight years. And like Seth Godin says, “I have no plans on stopping.”

So take some inspiration from our struggling musician Jason, our inspiring teacher Seth, and just maybe a little stick-to-it inspiration from that guy who writes that Monday Morning thing you get every week… and Gain the Red Edge by staying the course!

Have a great Monday! Thanks for letting me share.

Les

p.s. Take 13 minutes today to chart out how you will resurrect one of your discarded dreams with a little inspiration from “The Backwards Piano Man.”

If you’re ready to “Gain The Red Edge” with your marketing in 2018, sign up for a powerful 30-minute complimentary coaching session that will help you focus and clarify your brand story to better connect with your customer’s story!

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