In baseball, just over a hundred players hit a homerun on their first at bat.
Makes sense. That’s a lot of pressure without a lot of experience.
Most players are lucky enough to eek out single, barely get on first, maybe steal a base or two; then, with smart running, a solid lineup and little luck – score – then hustle back to the dugout in the hopes of having another at bat later in the game.
Artists and entrepreneurs work the same. We publish our first book, put on our first show, launch our first website, and we don’t expect fireworks. We’re just grateful for the chance to play. And we’re hopeful that we might score enough to get into the game and prove to the world (and to ourselves) that we’re capable.
That way, we can start building a history that keeps our average up.
Still, every once in a while, a player comes along that doesn’t just knock one out of the park – he knocks the cover off the ball.
Like Robert Redford in The Natural, he takes a swing and takes the world by surprise.
And we’re never the same again.
When this happens, when we’re privileged enough to witness somebody’s homerun, it’s our responsibility to show them the replay. It’s our responsibility to grab them by the lapel and reveal what they can’t see for themselves. And it’s our responsibility to tell them what they’ve done, why it matters, and why they need to keep swinging, every day, forever, until it’s all over.
We need to be a stand for these people’s greatness.
Because without that brand of encouragement (which costs nothing, by the way) some people may never realize how bloody brilliant they really are.
Going. Going. Gone.
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* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.
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