You know Michelangelo, the artist who painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome?
There’s a backstory you might not know. According to Grant, when the Pope asked
Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel in 1506, Michelangelo felt so overwhelmed
with self-doubt that he not only wanted to wait, but he also actually fled to Florence
and hid. The Pope had to stalk Michelangelo and pester him for two years to get
him to agree to paint it.
Want to hear another one? How about one related to Apple? In 1977, when an
investor offered Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak funding to launch Apple, Wozniak
felt so afraid and uncertain he wanted to “wait a while” before he quit his job. He
didn’t feel ready. He was pushed by “Jobs, multiple friends, and his own parents” to
make the leap.
Remember the stories in the last chapter about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
admitting he would have declined the nomination to lead the Montgomery
Improvement Association “had he thought it through”? Or Rosa Parks’ admission
that she never thought “she would be the one to do this”? In the moment, neither
one of them stopped to think. They didn’t wait to feel ready. That’s what we all need
to do. We are all capable of greatness. I believe that. It is our feelings and fears that
convince us now is not the right time and keep us from achieving greatness.
Grant then writes this line in his book, which made my heart feel heavy: “We
can only imagine how many Wozniaks, Michelangelos, and Kings never pursued,
publicized, or promoted their original ideas because they were not dragged or
catapulted into the spotlight.” The question to ask yourself is this one:
What Are You Waiting For?
Are you waiting for someone to ask you, drag you, pick you, or catapult you
into the spotlight, or are you willing to find the courage to push yourself? Are you