That's Not Going to Happen

Same Old Song and Dance

I once had a job that required me to do a lot of standing around and since conditions were ripe in that way, I did what comes naturally to me; I periodically pulled out my notebook and began jotting things down, then returning it to my pocket. A few moments later, after something else I noticed required me to record it, I would repeat my method of remembering things by removing my pen and notebook, writing something, and returning it to my pocket.  Eventually, a supervisor noticed me doing so. 

"You can't be writing up here." he told me.

"No note taking?" I asked.

"That's right." was his answer.

Behind the Eyes

I complied as I slowly returned my pen and notebook to my pocket and pondering the situation, I thought to myself, 

Well, here we go again. He doesn't realize that by asking me not to write or take visual notes is like asking me to change the color of my eyes or disown my mother. It can't be done.

Immovable

There is a story about a ship that was returning home from a long sea voyage and as it was approaching the coast in the dark, the captain noticed a beacon of light straight ahead on a collision course with his vessel, so he sent a message directed at the source of the light:

"From the USS Caine, Change course."

Shortly thereafter, the captain of the Caine received a reply: "Negative. You change course."

The captain relayed, "We're on a collision course and I order you to change direction 10 degrees starboard."

The answer was "Negative. I order you to change course."

At this, the captain of the ship let his ego get the best of him and he proudly replied, "I am Lieutenant Commander Phillip Francis of the United States Navy, commander of the USS Caine and I order you to change course!"

Afterwards, the message came back, "I am a lighthouse. You change course."

Nothing New

That story perfectly illustrates the situation with my most recent supervisor and it's only one of many stories about the derision and contempt I've received since grade school and throughout all my years of employment because of my natural tendency to always have a notebook and pen very nearby. I'm an artist who writes and to somehow attempting to prevent me from harmlessly taking notes at any given time is like asking a lighthouse to change course. 

The Conversion of Bob part 3

 

A conversation about Picasso and Millionaires

Recently I was working with two other artists at a company event and in the time we had before work started, we were talking amongst ourselves and one of them said of himself “a man of my talent should be a millionaire by now.”  

He also said, “if Pablo Picasso made a fortune with the junk he put out then why can't I?”

Overlooking his negativity he actually presented a good question because I’m not a big fan of Picasso, either. Most of the modern artists who are successful really don't produce any particularly beautiful works of art that I would consider masterpieces, worthy of the price tags.

The not-so-secret truth about failing 

Well, my fellow artist and I agreed as far as Picasso is concerned but that leads to another question; why do some artists succeed and others do not? Then, while in that conversation (I’m reluctant to call it a “conversation” because he was doing all of the talking) it occurred to me how negative he was being, and I slowly began to realize something else. Most of the artists with whom I associate at such events are unmistakably pessimistic. Granted, there is always healthy amounts of sarcasm among creative people by nature, but those with whom I work are downright negative.

The not-so secret truth about success

At the same event, after work began, there was a gentleman I was drawing, and he was genuinely captivated in what I was doing and was asking uncommonly intelligent questions about my trade. Not the usual rote, elementary inquiries such as, “do you like what you’re doing?” and “how long have you been drawing?” As it turned out he too liked to draw and was indisputably interested in my experience. He asked me, “do you see something that most people don't look for?” and “do you have a predisposition to noticing hidden values?”

I could’ve told him that there is a distinctive, esoteric quality that separates an artist from normal people but to me that would be exceptionally presuming. Not being a naturally pretentious person, I simply said “it just takes practice like with anything else.”

Of course, the question invariably came up about how I discovered caricature drawing to be a profitable venture which led to my brief story about how for most of my adult life I was unaware of the possibility that I could earn money by doing it and how my upbringing was such that I was told I needed to get a job because I couldn't make a living as an artist.

Don't interrupt me while I'm ignoring you

Before I made my point with the man, another artist with who was working alongside me, overheard our conversation and interrupted. He was supporting the idea that a caricature artist cannot earn a living (a decent one anyway). Not only did I find his comments a little undermining to the experience I was trying to convey to my customer, but as a fellow artist I would expect a little more respect for his own profession.

I, on the other hand, when allowed to complete my thought (my constituent’s unsought input notwithstanding) told the gentleman they were wrong; one certainly can make a living as an artist.

They set the bar

So why the negativity? Why are my contemporaries sold on the idea that they will not succeed? Why do they think that this is not an industry by which one can’t make a decent living? I cannot say with any authority why they believe it, but I know everything originates with one’s belief system, does it not? If one believes he can't succeed he's right. Of course, it isn't necessary to reach the same level of success attained by Disney or Schultz or even by Tom Richmond for one to be considered successful. (If you don't know who Tom Richmond is look him up) In the context of the conversation I was having yesterday, success can be defined as earning a decent living and one doesn’t have to be the richest artist in the country to do that.

Lampooning hall of fame

Granted if one relies 100% on being hired for "gigs" just to sustain themselves, of course their means will always fall short of their vision, way short. I know this from my own experience. I am certain this is what they have come to rely on and hope for, but I’m sure Tom Richmond, a very successful caricature artist, doesn't think that way. Disney and Schultz didn't either and neither do Matt Groenig, Seth McFarland, George Williams, and Adam Brown. But one thing is certain. Scale is what sends a person from a meager income to better income. Not just that but diversification and several applications of their skill. Also, targeted application. Negative thinking is poison to these possibilities.

Hall of shame

Which group do I belong to? What do I want to do? Certainly, taking lessons from my constituents, I don't want to be negative or pessimistic, and it isn't just the two artists I worked with that particular weekend. Others with whom I work also do much complaining and negative assessing. Another artist I’m familiar with likes to gripe about customers and the agencies that hire him. Another is averse to different ways of doing things. He is critical his fellow artists and has a negative opinion of the latest technology that makes the job more interesting, easier and more in demand.

The theme among these brands of artists seems to be one of extreme conservatism; keep things the way they are without change and in a way that is most familiar to them because that's how they’ve done it for a long time and they've become complacent in their comfort.

Another day another dollar

Do I also do that? To them, success is simply paying the bills, and I understand how important that is but if I were to open my mind about it, especially being self-employed for so long, I know success isn't simply paying the bills unless that is all that is important to me.

Have a plan

My solution, as I see it, is to diversify my talent by not only working at events, but ones I book independently and not through an agency and teaching the art of caricature to others. For now, those are my two primary objectives.

Also, in addition to the above, once those two objectives are satisfactorily completed by obtaining events and classes with relative ease, then I will focus on publishing and selling books and merchandise that support those endeavors.

Here's a match. Now burn those bridges!

These ambitions do not get realized by grouping myself with my fellow glum artists whose only hope is to pay their bills while waiting for the next gig. In fact, how wonderful it would have been at the event I mentioned, in my conversation with the customer who showed interest, to offer him a book, written by me, explaining everything he wanted to know. It would have been like Kevin O'Leary says, “throwing gasoline on the fire”. That's another reason for urgently wanting to complete my workbook because it will contain plenty of stories and experiences about my life as an artist and how those experiences can help other aspiring artists learn to be successful by becoming a tad familiar with the landscape.

The possibilities of moving on from my friends’ insistence that he should be a millionaire because Picasso was, and how one cannot earn a decent living as an artist and success is in simply paying the bills is in all those explanations I just mentioned. I just want to remove myself from their kinship.

Are You Sitting on a Nail?

The hound that was sitting on a nail

There is a story about an old hound dog that sat on the porch all day and periodically would let out a lengthy, mournful howl. This would last all day until one day a neighbor asked the dog's owner why he displayed such peculiar behavior.

"It’s because he's sitting on a nail", said the owner.

"Well," returned the neighbor, "why doesn't he move?"

"Because he's too lazy." Said the owner. "He prefers the pain of the nail to the effort of finding another spot."

Did you ever have one of those conversations?

Not long ago, I was discussing with some friends a phenomenon that involved the improvement of one’s life and why, when someone is given verified information that can improve one’s life, whether it be personal or business, the information isn’t often utilized? It’s as if someone tells you that a large suitcase full of neatly stacked hundred-dollar bills is waiting in a locker at the downtown bus station and it can be yours. You’re handed the key to the locker and told the only condition is you must pick it up today by 4pm because it won’t be there after that time.  

Any reasonable person would drop what he’s doing and retrieve the suitcase, toot-sweet, but so often, excuses are made.

“But the trip downtown at lunchtime is murder.”

“I have a phone conference I can’t miss.”

“Gas is so expensive, and if I go all the way downtown it’ll blow my fuel budget for the week.”

“It’s dangerous at the bus station. What if I’m robbed?”

This story is somewhat of a parable, but like all parables, it is rooted in real conditions. I went away from my conversation with my friends consumed with that question, only I personalized it.

When I’m given good information that will change my life for the better, why don’t I pursue it?

An "ahha" moment

 I thought of very little else for the rest of the day knowing how vexed I was with the very conditions we discussed. Almost immediately, I realized it when, on the way home, I stopped off at the grocery store to get a couple of things and I spent a few extra seconds in the car ensuring I had my wallet because it held my bank card and Kroger card, both of which I use to pay for my things. Suddenly it hit me; I don’t need my wallet at all because I have a digital wallet on my phone and it has the same information as my physical cards, even the Kroger card. So why was it important to me to find my wallet? Really, the only thing my physical wallet is good for is a place to put my driver’s license and what little cash I have. But even after coming to that conclusion, I still took my wallet with me and paid with my physical bank card. Why?

I gotta know

I wanted to know! I was convinced it’s because of real mental conditions. I also wanted to know because, if for no other reason, I, myself, want to change.

I found out that our tendency, everyone included, is to fail to adopt confirmed improvements due to psychological, emotional and mental factors that prioritize immediate comfort over long-term gain. In other words, we don’t want to leave our comfort zone. We’re happy there. We’re familiar with it. It’s predictable. It’s safe.

I discovered there are fancy names for the very conditions I’m addressing:

·         Present Bias

·         Cognitive Dissonance

·         Fear and Identity Protection

·         Learned Helplessness

·         Emotional attachment to habits

·         Misconception of effort

Most of these can be grouped together and explained in the earlier story about the hound dog sitting on a nail; we prefer the pain over the effort and inconvenience to moving to a different part of the porch, even at our own detriment. 

·         We tend to overvalue present comfort and undervalue future change.

·         We tend to ignore evidence to avoid changing our belief system.

·         Deep-seated beliefs are linked to self-identity and social groups.

·         A person may believe they can’t adopt new habits leading to feelings of helplessness. This is also known as learned helplessness and was coined by Martin Seligman.

·         People may stick to false propositions because they’re comfortable or familiar.

·         The immediate cost of change is mentally overshadowed by future gain.

Our brains prefer the path of least resistance. We prefer watching videos to reading books because it’s easier. It’s easier to have a Popeye’s chicken sandwich than cook our own meals. It’s easier to take a nap than go for a walk.

On a deeper, personal level, it was somehow more comfortable for me to pay for groceries with a card, than my phone. In this case the results weren't so consequential, but it is a small example of my unwillingness (at the time) to adopt a new habit because I'm comfortable with the old. I wonder what else I'm undervaluing. 

 

 

Brainless

 There is a saying that says, "Empty your mind, pick up a pencil and draw" and the purpose of this is tactical in nature in the sense that one must focus on the task at hand and to remove as best one can, all outside distractions (there are many). This also applies to anything a person does that involves their intentional focus, not just drawing, and it is a principle I teach art students. 

Like I said, this rule applies to many things but the spirit behind it involves activity, not passive mindlessness.

• Watching TV
• Doom-scrolling
• Social media
• Gossiping
• excessive phone use

No thinking zone

I was listening to an interview about how devices and A.I. are doing things for us that we used to have to do for ourselves and the man being interviewed said how great it is because it gives him less to think about. But immediately after he said it, I recognized something in that remark didn't quite jibe well with me. 

"It Gives Me Less to Think About"

Isn't thinking what sets humans apart from animals? The greatest works of humankind begins with thinking to solve problems or to be creative. 

• The cure for polio 
• The four minute mile
• The abolition of slavery
• Landing on the moon
• The Sistine Chapel
• The horseless carriage
• The Notre Dame Cathedral
• Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3

It all originated in the human mind as an independent, free thought, an idea originating in the gray matter of the brain and not in an electronic device thinking in our stead. 

"How fortunate for governments 

that the people they administer 

don't think."

                               

                              -Adolf Hitler

The goals of the forces of evil are to get people to empty their minds so the void can be filled with less valuable things. 

"Let the robot do it"

That's why, knowing full well A.I. can do my work for me and probably make it way better, aesthetically speaking, than I will ever be able to do, I insist on only doing it myself. Most of the time I won't even check it using A.I. and it's not because I'm a stubborn, crotchety old man who doesn't like new-fangled gadgets. Maybe I am. But rather It's because I like the way I do it, mistakes and all. How much value would Leonardo's Mona Lisa possess if it was done by Grok?

I've drawn some things and someone would say to me "Let's see what A.I. can do with it!" My immediate response is a decisive "NO". Why would I want to see what a robot can do to my creation? 

Changing the World in 8 Days

What am I spending time on?

I read a book early last year and it wasn't the best book I've read, but it had good information and recently, I went to look for it on my bookshelf, but to my surprise, I couldn't find it. I thought to myself, 

I know it was no treasure, but I couldn't have donated it to a thrift store already, could I have? 

It was a newer book, and I didn’t dislike it so I began to search for it with no luck when I had the brilliant idea of cataloging all my books so I could easily check to see if a particular book was still in my possession without turning my house upside-down. So, during the course of trying to get a foothold on this new year’s objectives, I was distracted when I began searching for a book I thought was in my collection.

 I have my daily tasks all laid out which will take time to complete, and for the last couple of days I have been cataloging all the books I own. So, instead of tending to my daily non-negotiables, I'm spending time recording every book in the house! It reminds of the story Zig Ziglar talked about when a guy he once met told him he had memorized every name of every county in every state in America. Ziglar thought it was an extraordinary claim so what else could he do? He asked him to prove it and sure enough, the man did it.

 Ziglar thought it an amazing mental achievement, but he said to himself, why spend so much time, mental capacity and energy on such a useless endeavor? What possible good could come out of knowing the name of every county in America? Wasn't there something he could spend his time on that would be more beneficial?

 That’s what I'm asking myself. I just spent lots of time cataloging all my books and for what? Couldn’t I have better spent my time on something else, something more beneficial related to my process of getting better results?

 It's that damned Marine mentality, again, that was tattooed in my psyche all those years ago. We were always expected to achieve immediate and consequential results, without exception and without excuses. I still hear that drill instructor in my ear.

Grace Please

However, there is another side to that coin, one that is a little more merciful and gracious to me.

  It's very early in the year, just a little more than a week into it and here I am already berating myself for neither meeting all my objectives I've set nor being awarded my rightful Pulitzer Prize for writing.

 I'm going to have to give myself some time, especially since some of the particulars of my daily non-negotiables are new to me.

 The fact is I can't change the world in 8 days. It may take a little more time.

Merry Christmas to me?

 

Part of my job is to be at company Christmas parties not as an employee, but as part of the entertainment. In case you're not aware, I draw caricatures of the employees.

 I must admit that some of these revelries are quite impressive as a result of the deep pockets of the corporation and sometimes I feel not only out of place but it’s as though I walked onto a set of a Hollywood production like The Godfather or The Great Gatsby because of the opulence and elegance of the venue.

I also have a confession. I sometimes feel envious of the attending underlings because they are having so much fun and they partake of the outstanding dinners prepared by first class chefs (I snuck a bite of some boiled crab and it made my toes curl) and receive the gifts and bonuses from their company.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm advocate of running self-employment but I sometimes would like just a taste of the other side. When I have those inclinations, it’s usually only for the duration of the event and I can focus on my own, again, afterwards.

Then I’d  begin thinking about it. There have been times in days past when I was part of a company that did Christmas parties. Certainly, they may not have been as posh as the ones described above but they were very nice indeed, but what was the ultimate price I paid for the privilege?

I might save the long answer for another time but, in short, I lost control of my future, my personal goals, my hopes for the future. The parties were forgotten about the next day, and the Christmas bonuses are long gone. In fact, when my apparent usefulness to the companies was through, I was tossed aside and coldly left without a means of income without regard to my needs or the needs of my family. Some party, huh?

So, as a quick reminder to myself, I earn more money in the two or three hours of drawings that I’m providing for the company that hired my services than I used to make all week as an employee and for the privilege of attending their Christmas party.

No thank you.

 

 

A Most Unforgettable Christmas

It's customary for stateside military personnel to take furlough during Christmas week to visit their families back home and as a young U.S. Marine, when not deployed, I too would follow that convention, but not always.

This part was the same

Military furlough is not unlike the traditional vacation time of any civilian job in that one gains more leave days the longer they’re in and it was typical for us to gather and save as much furlough in order to ensure we had time off during the holidays and I was no different.

This Part was different, though.

But it was a long time ago, when one year, I and some friends stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, decided to forgo furlough that year during Christmastime and remain there on the base and take our leave, later, when everyone else returned, usually after New Year’s Day.

Left Behind

There were about four of us, and we watched what seemed to be the entire population of Marines at Camp Lejeune depart for home. Lejeune was a ghost town as we were the only four out of the entire battalion to remain there and we practically had the whole base to ourselves. I’ve often wondered what would happen if the country was attacked during Christmas because there would be no military to defend the country.

During that quiet week, we still had to report in uniform every morning to the officer on duty but afterwards we were on our own. No training, no formations, no duties, no physical training, no inspections, and no watches other than the occasional guard duty but it was a small price to pay, and I must admit it was one of the most unforgettable, and fun, Christmases I ever had.

Say "hello" to our friend, Jim

We spent the week with a case of Jim Beam, going into Jacksonville at night to paint the town red, taking a couple of days to go fishing at nearby Catfish Lake and since we ate most of our meals at the chow hall, we didn’t spend any money on eating out. We also had no cars and our transportation to and from town was by bus, so we had no worries about driving conditions.

It was a great bonding experience for the four of us who still keep in touch to this day.

When the holiday was over, and everyone else reported back for duty, the four of us put in our leave requests as planned and off we went to celebrate a new year, not at home, but in Montana, which was another unforgettable experience, but that’s another story.

 

I Almost Joined

We landed at the San Diego airport in the middle of the night and went to the designated area reserved for Marine recruits and waited. I was part of a group of about 25 other recruits, still in our civilian attire and we still had our hair.

Eventually a Marine Staff Sergeant, built like he was chiseled as Greek statue, came from out of the dark, accompanied by a slim corporal, walked decidedly over to a waiting podium, and firmly placed paperwork on it.

The corporal said to us, "Form two single file lines in front of the staff sergeant's podium."

We all then groped our way toward the podium, not knowing what was coming next. The square jawed staff Sergeant looked up and said with authority, "When you hear your name you will answer 'here', and from now on, your first and last words will be 'sir'."

He looked at his list and began calling role, "Anderson". We all heard the recruit respond with a low and careless "here", and at that, the staff Sergeant looked up in shock and yelled, "You don't listen well do you! Did I not just say the first and last word out of that filthy suck of yours will be 'sir'!" 

My eyes grew wide.

He continued, "Get the shit out of your ears and listen up! ANDERSON!" This time the recruit answered, with the standard "Sir, here, sir!"

I began some alarming self-talk, saying to myself, "Oh, my god, here I am in the middle of a strange airport in the middle of the night, and this Marine is yelling and cussing at this guy! What have I done? Is it too late to change my mind? Why do I keep doing this to myself?"

Needless to say, it was too late, and it was the first encounter of the adventure of a lifetime. I was to go on to see, and experience amazing things over the next several years. I established bonds with other Marines that still exist today, after all these years. Nothing I do, nothing I say, nothing I think, isn’t somehow tainted with Marine green.

The experience was unique and the only ones who can relate to it are actually not veterans in general, nor even, most of the time, other Marines, but rather the very Marines who actually went through it all alongside me. 

I am rather guarded on the subject because many people often say things like, "I almost joined the Marines" or "My uncle was in the Marines so it's like I was a Marine too." And then there is always the ones who think they understand the life of Marines because, "I read how tough it is, so I understand"

No, they don't understand, and there is no way they could, no matter how many stories they hear from relatives, or videos they watch, or books they read. It's like me trying to understand what it's like to go through childbirth; I can listen to my wife, and other women can tell me what it's like, and I can read about it, or hear about it, but I never gone through it. I can listen politely but understanding what it's like is not within my capabilities.

We had a phrase when I was in, "If you ain't been there, shut the fuck up". This was a simple and frank way of saying if someone hasn't done what they're talking about, then they don't know what they're talking about.  

I can't count the number of times over the years the people who have never been in, ceaselessly blather on to me about what they think they know. Not only do I find them a total bore but it's also highly offensive to me. Who are they to tell me what it's like?

If you're in business for yourself, how often have you heard someone tell you how to run your business, who themselves aren't in business and have never been in business?

"If I was in business", I've heard them say, "I'd run it this way, or that way." When I've heard this phrase over all the years in which I've worked for myself, I would have liked to have answered, "If you ain't been there...." as they proceed to their warehouse job or cubicle, underpaid, underwhelmed, and complaining.

Don't most of us self-employed, instead, just smile politely and say little in response? 

Drag me to Hell

 I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that more often than not, people would prefer to make others as unhappy as themself. Misery loves company but it seems that instead of people simply going out and finding others just as miserable as themselves, they would prefer to make the person they are with just as sorrowful. This has very often happened to me.

• Me: "I love Halloween."
• Other: "Halloween is satanic and all that candy isn't good for you."

Writing is another thing I like to do, and I'm often seen jotting things down in a notebook I carry with me. "Why do you have to write everything down?" I've been told. "Be like me and just keep it in your head."

Of course, I also draw, and it's common for me to be callously chastised for doing so. Here are a few remarks I've heard over the years:

• "You shouldn't be drawing. You need to focus on your work, instead!"
• "Drawing while someone is talking means you're not paying attention."
• "Quit drawing and get a real job."
• "Everything you do has drawings all over it."

I've often been derided for various other things like:

• Reading in general
• What I read
• Wanting to be alone
• Not talking
• The way I talk
• The way I open the curtains
• The way I work
• The way I walk

Sometimes people tell me that I shouldn't be so happy and remind me why. 

• "You may feel good now but wait till you get to be my age."
• "This month may be good but what about next month?"
• "You may really like apple cider, but all that sugar is going to make you fat."

I know I'm not the only one who goes through this, and I've even discovered it's a condition related to psychological concepts with real names. 

Misery loves company

There is no explicit technical term for this malady, but this common saying is often used to describe someone who attempts to drag others down into their own unhappiness. Psychologically it can stem from insecurity, jealousy, or a desire for validation. When a person is miserable, they feel less alone or threatened when those around them also feel bad.

Schadenfreude

This impossible-to-pronounce German word means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. If a person's goal is to actively inflict unhappiness on others simply for their own satisfaction, they are experiencing schadenfreude. It's a key part of toxic and sadistic behavior.

Crab Mentality

This phrase or metaphor describes a way of thinking best described as "If I can't have it neither can you." The name comes from the observation that if you put crabs in a bucket they will easily escape, but any crab that attempts climb out is pulled back down by the others. A person with this mindset will sabotage your happiness or success so you don't see above their own level.

My Own,
Little Ole' Me, Viewpoint

I think the most common reason people are habitually cynical is because of pride. People want to be seen as intelligent, wise, and worldly. Even successful and happier people can be found to be negative toward others because they want to be seen as the person who has the answer. It's the, if it worked this way for me, then it'll work that way for everybody, condition. It's the person who gives unsolicited advice just to be lofty in other's minds.

The best way I found to deal with them is to just let it be, don't argue with them and possibly even confirm it in their own mind, much like in the spirit of Dale Carnegie. But sometimes I'll just tell the other person to "Shut-up!"

Mindset Again?

Master of Mediocrity

 

An opiate is defined as a substance derived from or related to opium which is used in drugs such as heroine, morphine and hydrocodone among others and is also addictive. It increases endorphins and relieves pain. 

An opiate can also be used to described something, like a condition, activity or a mindset that dulls the senses and accommodates one's sense of comfort and well-being. Although no actual drugs are involved in such a situation, endorphins are released in the brain to give a person a good feeling, for a little while. 

       What is the meaning behind 

"Modesty is the opiate of the mediocre"? 

One who is modest is someone who avoids praise, (especially self-praise) and is embarrassed at receiving compliments. A modest person avoids attention but, in my case, being one who depends on bringing attention to himself for the sake of financial viability, modesty is something I should avoid at all costs. In fact, it is critical that I should talk more of what I do and present myself as an authority in my field of endeavor. 

However, the pleasure I get from fading into the wallpaper in the back of the room to avoid all human interaction is, in my case, as detrimental to my career as being an addict.

Nobody likes being uncomfortable but sometimes one's survival depends on being so by doing things against one's nature like the self-promotion I mentioned earlier. Otherwise, in my case, I'm just a person with a hidden talent who is destined to die impoverished and unknown.

For a prints, click here 

https://www.redbubble.com/i/poster/Modesty-is-the-Opiate-of-the-Medicre-by-TeeCeeCo/174546745.LVTDI

The Conversion of Bob

 Those who preach the gospel of success often claim that once a person's mind is made up to succeed, then the universe begins to cooperate and clears the path of all obstacles and paves the way. But is this true and accurate?

On One Hand

If things don't respond in the way as described above, is it because the statement isn't true or is it because the person in question hasn't sincerely made up his mind to succeed? 

Success starts out as a mindset. If not, then the first hardship one encounters forces him to throw up his hands and say something like, "I'm cursed! Success isn't for me!"

The impediments to one's success may never actually vanish, as suggested by some gurus of prosperity, but because of one's successful mindset, the obstacles seem easier to negotiate, or maybe one is more willing to encounter them. The willingness someone has of working through barriers has much to do with his perception of them. 

How I respond to difficulties is a test of my conversion. 

But on the Other Hand

There is the notion that a real dream should come to you, and you don't have to chase it. Wow! That is rife with interpretations! The converse of that philosophy is that everything, especially things worthwhile, takes work, hard work, and sometimes at great sacrifice. It is also a grand fact that mistakes and failures are a big part of it. Like the late, great Tom Petty sang: 

"I'm running down a dream. It never would come to me."

There seems to be a tendency, especially among young Americans, that we are entitled to the fulfilment of our dreams and we deserve to have a fulfilling, satisfying and easy life when nothing can be further from the truth. When we see successful, wealthy people, doctors, engineers, attorneys, businesspeople, writers, artists, there is the perception that it's always been so for them when actually, what is rarely publicized is the hardships they endured to reach that level. 

No one deserves anything. It must be earned. 

Rudderless

 I had a mentor a couple of years ago who was most helpful to my career as a leader, and he was a real example. He was my greatest supporter and was paving the way for successes I could only dream of. But then he died, suddenly, and since then things have been different. I seem to have lost my way and am wondering in the desert, maybe waiting on another mentor.

I've come to the conclusion that there will be no other mentor. If there is to be one sometime in my future, it will come not by my will nor at my convenience. The fact is, I've enough knowledge and material to be my own mentor. 

God bless my previous mentor, and I greatly benefitted from his priceless knowledge and experience but now, instead of lying around waiting for someone else, I alone need to continue to apply his methods, without him. It's something I've been reluctant to do, out of intimidation, learned helplessness, or whatever, I can't say for sure. 

To turn things around is my responsibility and no one else's, so it's time to get off my duff, cross the Jordan and take that promised land. 

Time Marches on

 I get discouraged, not just sometimes, but often, because aside from a few victories and minor successes in my past, I have never really had any real, lasting success, neither in a career nor in my personal life. Sometimes I think my melancholy reaches critical levels of sadness, especially when I regard myself as too far gone in life for things to change significantly. I ask myself, "has the opportunity passed me by?"

I seek success in more than one area. I look to find accomplishment as a cartoonist, which most people who know me are well acquainted with, but that's not all. I also seek to be a capable writer who is not necessarily a best seller, but someone who, as a result of his books, is an authority in my specific field of endeavor. Of course, having an income derived from book sales is also something I would never turn away.

But this all leads back to my original question; has the opportunity passed me by at this stage?

One of my favorite books I've read is Late Bloomers by Rich Karlgaard and he addresses this very question, and it truly gave me inspiration. Karlgaard addresses the general issue of people who find success later in life and he gives many examples but one area I specifically seek is writing and cartooning. So, I researched the question to and here is an answer:

Yes, many writers have found success in their 60s and beyond, including those who published their first work at that age. Rather than being a barrier, starting to write later in life offers a depth of experience and perspective that can make for richer, more authentic stories. 

Authors who found success in their 60s

• Frank McCourt (age 66)

After decades as a high school teacher, McCourt published his memoir Angela's Ashes at the age of 66. 

It became a surprise bestseller and spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list.The book went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award. 

• Laura Ingalls Wilder (age 65)

The author of the beloved Little House on the Prairie series began writing her fictionalized memoirs in her 60s. 

The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published when she was 65, and the series became a lasting literary success. 

• Bonnie Garmus (age 65)

Her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was a smash hit that became a bestseller and was adapted into a streaming series. Garmus published the book at 65 after it had been rejected 98 times. She has stated that age doesn't matter for writers because "no one really cares how old you are". 

• Delia Owens (late 60s)

The bestselling debut novel Where the Crawdads Sing was published when Owens was in her late 60s.The book was a massive commercial success and was later turned into a film. 

• J.R.R. Tolkien (age 62)

While Tolkien published The Hobbit at 45, his greatest commercial and critical success came with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He published the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring, at the age of 62. 

• Sam Savage (age 65)

After giving up on writing in his 50s, Savage returned to it and found success when his first book, Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife, was published at 65. It sold one million copies, and he went on to publish four more books. 

• Mary Wesley (age 70)

After her husband's death, British novelist Mary Wesley began writing seriously in her later years. Her first adult novel was published when she was 70, and she became a bestselling author, selling millions of copies. 

• Donna Gordon (age 65)

Gordon's debut novel, What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me, was published at the age of 65. The book received critical praise and was selected as a top read by the Independent Book Review. 

So yes, writers specifically have found success later in life, and in particular at my stage in life, and since my question has been answered as far as best sellers are concerned, I think I can safely presume that there are many, many lesser-known writers out there who have found their own degree of success. I wish to become one of them and since it's possible, (in fact the odds, I think, are better than just possible) I intend to be one of them.

However, does this lead to another of my issues? I may expound on it in another post but, for now, suffice it to say, I'm plagued with Learned Helplessness. Well, if nothing else, it may be another subject included somehow in a future book I author.