Just as Jean-Baptiste said, I also “believe that everybody could bring something
new and original to the world we live in.” The potential for massive greatness exists
inside every single one of us.
The way that you activate the power of you is by finding the courage you need
every single day to push yourself forward. When you listen to your instincts (“get up
and face the day, Mel,” “suck it up and start walking, Tom,” “take care of your nephews,
Catherine,” “don’t give up your seat, Rosa”)—it’s clear what you must do.
There is no debate when you follow what’s inside your heart. The only thing
that will quiet the chatter in your head is a decision to move. As I said in the very
beginning of the book, you really are just one decision away from a completely
different life.
We are all so afraid of uncertainty that we want a guarantee before we even try.
We want evidence that if we take a risk we will “get the girl” too. Even if Tom gets
the girl, it’s not proof that you will. “Getting the girl” or “the guy,” for that matter,
is a numbers game. To play any game, you have to start. To win, you’ll need to keep
going. If you want to make your dreams come true, get ready for the long game.
Life is not a one-and-done sort of deal. You’ve got to work for what you want.
Do you know the game Angry Birds? Rovio, the brand that created the game,
launched 51 unsuccessful games before they developed Angry Birds. How about
The Avengers star Mark Ruffalo? Do you know how many auditions he did before he
landed his first role? Almost 600! Even Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. My
favorite vacuum cleaner is a Dyson. And there’s no wonder why it doesn’t suck at
sucking up the dirt. James Dyson created 5,127 prototypes! What? And this last one
will blow your mind. Picasso created nearly 100 masterpieces in his lifetime. But
what most people don’t know is that he created a total of more than 50,000 works
of art.