You have either got it, or you don't.

There is a pervading sense within the culture of the millenials and Tiktok-age people that you can “GRIND” your way to success. While this may be true in some sense, since success is a subjective and not objective reality, this could not be more false. You cannot grind your way to the insights of someone like Billy Bob Thornton or Marlon Brando. You cannot grind your way to the musical prowess of someone like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Jimi Hendrix. You never will. There is a lie that pervades the “grindset culture” of the now.

The lie is that you can make yourself into one of these people through sheer hard work and determination. But the fact of the matter is, that you either have it or you don’t. Not everyone was put on this Earth to be Stevie or Marlon or Emily Dickinson or Mae Jemison. These people arguably had natural talents and insight that made them into who they are.

However, if you have a dream, do not ever let someone convince you into giving that up. Work hard. Tirelessly. Every single day of your life. You should not aim to be like one of these people, but to be at the top of a league of your own. These people have already come and gone. Peter Thiel says “The next Sergey Brin or Larry Page won’t be anything like them.” They will be different from them. Be who you are and embrace the unending possibility of never being the person you look up to. You might just find that the person you look up to was just like you at one point, scared, confused but willing to try new things.