The Answer to Success Is Staring You in the Face, And It’s Both Great and Scary.
It’s great because it’s easy. It’s scary because it’s not easy at all.
I used to write About pages for $5 apiece on Fiverr.
I was good, so I was busy.
I probably wrote 200–300 About pages before I switched directions, and if there’s one thing I learned, it’s this:
People are horrified by telling their stories.
Embracing who you are is tough. Showing it to the world feels like you’re walking naked on a busy street.
But it’s exactly what you should be doing.
“Being yourself is all you need to be” — Kevin Hart
I stumbled upon Kevin Hart’s autobiography “I can’t make this up” a few months ago after watching his 2020 special, and I must say it blew me away.
I was surprised to find so much wisdom in a book that was supposed to be just a fun detour among my more serious reads, like Obama’s Promised Land.
Here’s how my favourite part begins:
“The toughest transition is the transition to understanding that being yourself is all you need to be.”
In the following chapter, Kevin explains how his agent advised him to postpone an amazing opportunity because he wasn’t ready yet.
It’s difficult for Kevin to agree, but he does.
“Dave Becky was highly respected, and I had gotten this far by listening to people like him, even when I didn’t agree with their logic.”
Later in the chapter, Kevin gets feedback on his set by Keith Robinson, his mentor at the time.
“Good set, man. Hey, who was the midget robber you were talking about?”
“Oh, I made it up.”
“Okay. Hey, you know that whole bit about you, and a dirty sock and the dirty sock is talking. When did a dirty sock talk to you?”
“That didn’t happen. I made that up.”
“Oh, okay. And what about the black people with Chinese tattoos. How many black people do you know who have a Chinese tattoo?”
