I am a huge fan of Peter. I love his work. His speech is one of the best of all time
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” “Please don't even bother asking, don't bother telling the world you are ready; SHOW IT! DO IT!”
Failure is a constant in life. Maybe you did not get a promotion at work, maybe your job applications were rejected, maybe you’re being fired, maybe your business failed, maybe your friends aren’t there anymore for you, or maybe your relationship didn’t make it. Failure is hard. We take it oftentimes personally. It takes time to heal. Am I not good enough? Why did he get promoted and I not? I am now more in the “a no I have, and a yes I (maybe) can get “ mentality. Venture out and try stuff; it doesn’t matter if you get a NO. Take your conclusions from it, move on, and prove them wrong. Don’t bother what other people might think. Try new things, fail, and learn. Do it over and over again. It is a state of mind. The average successful entrepreneur is fifty years old and has many failed businesses before managing a successful one.
“I had so many dreams of where I wanted to go, who I wanted to be, and what I wanted to do”
After graduating, I wanted to see the world; I wanted to be someone; I wanted to do the unimaginable. I wanted to be a person where all my classmates had something like “he really made it!”. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. I had to start from zero. Traveling is nice but came at a huge price. Working two months to be able to pay for a short, simple trip (I stayed at hostels and ate bread and jam from the supermarket) was not really worth it. It is not sustainable at all. I did not even have days off from work to make trips. I realized I was not the new Marc Zuckerberg with the invention of a new Facebook. I was not doing something that made the front newspapers. I was not living the adventurous life of a Jack Reacher or a James bond. I still have my dreams. But I am happy if one of my projects ever becomes a minor success. I still want to travel; I am searching for my way.
“I packed the life I knew with socks and a toothbrush into my backpack. And I slept on couch, after couch, after couch, after couch at friends’ apartments ...” “Maybe I was afraid of change. Are you?” “walking away from data processing, I was terrified.”
It is one of my predefined goals for 2024: 🏡gaining more independence. It’s about time I get my backpack and venture into the world. I am ready for it. Unlike a few years ago, I think I now have the backpack to do it. I had different job experiences, and I feel incredibly motivated and curious. I pack the life I know and venture out into the world. I must leave my comfort zone behind.
“I didn’t want a day job. I was an actor, I was a writer.” ... “I hated that job. And I clung to that job. Because of that job, I could afford my own place.”
I want to write, build networks, travel abroad, build projects, etc. “I don’t want a fucking day job? I don’t want to ‘waste’ my time.“ That’s how I thought about it back in the day. I only do jobs now that I think have a learning component in them for me. For example, in my job as an in-home telecom technician, I was curious about the persons and environments behind the walls (how people live, getting an image of who the people in our society are). Or when doing a technical support function I am interested in improving my communication skills. I try to balance them with part-time work. That means I create a bit of time to try things myself.
“What I didn’t have was cash,”
Starting from zero is hard and not fair. You are required to shape a path. Starting at the bottom gives more fulfillment in the end. I had a conversation recently with an old successful man. He said, “If I could, I would immediately change all I have to be your age and start all over from 0.”
“My grandmother had given me a pink pull-out couch. Oddly no friends or recent graduates wanted to crash on my couch. So I put the couch on its end, so Brian could climb it and look out the window.”
Sometimes it's just you against the world, and that’s fine.
“Don’t search for defining moments because they will never come.” “The moments that define you have already happened. And they will already happen again. And it passes so quickly.”
There is never a good moment in life, and there is no ideal moment for your dreams. If you wait for the perfect moment, you will wait a lifetime. Do it as soon as you can.