The Story of Success

I completed the Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell audiobook for the second time around. This time, I think I was able to really get it and into my being. This author was recommended to me by my former career mentor, the first book she said I should read was Blink, which talks about our preconceived notions of the people, things and other stuff around us and how it affects our thinking and actions towards our work and relationships. I am yet to start with The Tipping Point, though I already have the .epub copy on my tablet.  

Going back to Outliers, Gladwell discussed Success in a different light. He emphasized the external factors that can affect one’s story of success. More than innate talent and intellect, he clearly said that one’s success is influenced by other important matters as follows:

1.      Privilege

Having that opportunity to be able to do what you are good at, it really would make one good at it.

So, what is this something that you have the privilege to do right now?

Me? Writing and travel for free in exchange for reviews.

2.      Constant Practice (10,000 hours)
      Talent maybe innate but how to be the best at something takes more than that. . Bill Gates, privileged and talented, started programming at the age of 13 years old and never stopped since then. The Beatles started playing in Germany for months and months in a certain bar before opportunity paved their way to stardom. They had to learn songs other than their compositions for requests of the customers.
   
      So, what is this/these something that you are or have been doing that you are willing to spend the 10,000 hours of your life?

3.      Cultural Heritage
      This is where environment get to affect our personalities and our styles of communication.

       What are those cultural practices and beliefs that either stop us or push us to be better?

4.      Practical Intelligence

Not all people with very high IQ end up being successful. Being able to articulate your needs and desires is very important.

How good are you at expressing yourself and what you need from others?

5.      Focus

To solve a math problem, to learn something new, it takes a lot of focus.

This is something I really, really need to work on. This is the things that I lack of.

How absorbed are you with what you’re doing and can do stay focus more than 22 minutes?

6.      Series of Events

Sometimes, things just happen.

Can you remember anything like this happen to you?

7.      Mentors

There are people who would see potential in you, push you to your limits and help you even if it cost them more than they can offer. Most of the time, it’s our parents.

I have been longing to be mentored.

8.      Chance

In some cases, to be successful, all we need is a chance at it. This is the most crucial part, because with that chance to be given, we still have to prove that we are worth it. However, there are those chances that are blown away, screwed up just because we have been too complacent and over-confident.

I am still working on that chance to be given to be. Apparently, it takes a lot of effort to prove oneself worth of a chance. I hope mine happens in this lifetime.

I wrote this trying to remember the pointers on top of my head so maybe I am still missing a piece or two point of views. It was good exercise I may say. It was an awesome book as well. As it made me realize so many things about myself, how I define success and ultimately to never lose that sense of gratitude because wherever better place we will go, it is not just a fruit of our labor on its own, but God had or will be putting in people, events and circumstances to make things happen.

God make things beautiful in His own time- Nikki Gil.