Whiplash --a movie which I watched recently left me thinking. How far is a person willing to go to achieve the pinnacle of success? Where does one draw the line to achieve excellence? What price are you willing to pay, to make it worth it for you? Does success demand great sacrifice?
If you haven't watched it, do watch the movie. It is a movie that makes you uncomfortable, and makes you think. I will not go into details about the movie, for fear of spoilers.
Personally, I believe that in order to achieve success in any field, one has to continuously be at it. Especially when the going gets tough or seems impossible. You have to have a spirit of 'I will never give up, no matter what.' It is persisting even when everything seems bleak.
As a writer, I have face innumerable rejections. My book Life Is What You make It was rejected more than 40 times--not only by Indian publishers but also publishers abroad. Today, it has sold close to a million copies and continues to top the bestseller list week after week. I remember how dejected I used to feel each time a rejection email arrived. I also knew I did not want to take the path of self-publishing. (If you are a serious writer, I would suggest you do NOT self-publish, instead wait till you are accepted by a traditional publisher.)
I wish I could tell you it is easy. But it isn't. There are no short cuts. It is just persisting and persisting, even when all hope dies. It is waiting patiently till a small crack of light appears.
I posted a video today of me working, on my instagram which I am sharing here. My son shot this one, while I was writing.
View this post on InstagramAs a writer, I am *always* working. I have neither Saturday nor Sunday nor any holiday. I write every single day. For me writing is as essential as breathing. That’s how I have written 12 books in the last 12 years. The latest one is #wakeuplifeiscalling , a sequel to #lifeiswhatyoumakeit Read it yet? Type preeti.io/awake in your browser
When we look at anyone who is on top of their field, we often forget the amount of TIME and EFFORT they have put in. We do not see the tears of frustration, the frightening all consuming self-doubts, the pain, the persistence, the will to go on even when the end is nowhere in site. They make it look easy and effortless. But it isn't!
If you wish to be at the top--one has to be prepared for a lot of sacrifices, effort and discipline. There are no shortcuts, and that is an uncomfortable truth.
Whiplash reflects this.
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ps: Wake Up Life is Calling has received Over 300 fivestar ratings on Flipkart. Grab it at 108/- and pay cash on delivery: preeti.io/wakeupf
