Average People – Part 2
Yesterday we talked about the bell curve of skill. Once you’ve reached an area of excellence you must be vigilant. You’ll constantly get sucked back to “average” if you aren’t careful. This is why.
Even though you’ve escaped the realm of average, the people who surround you haven’t. They still occupy average and below average. And that’s ok. They should be good at what they’re good at.
Unfortunately, people have strong opinions. It seems they have the strongest opinions about things that they aren’t good at. And your friends, family and acquaintances will be quick to verbalized their criticisms and ideas. It’s tempting to rely heavily on their advice. After all, they truly care about you.
But be cautious. They are average. Da Vinci didn’t consult a housewife about his brush strokes. She had no authority to criticize his above-average skills.
Many of those people surrounding you have no business criticizing your skills. Don’t rely too heavily on their advice.
I’m not saying to tune people out. That would be stupid. There’s a good chance many of your friends and family will have amazing ideas. Listen for the good. There will be plenty of good feedback.
But be willing to ignore the bad. Don’t be swayed by every breath of average people. Though they care for you, they don’t have what it takes to do what you do. Have a little more faith in yourself.
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2 Comments
Love this idea! It’s simple but is one of those things that needs stated. I feel in a situation like that currently, and it would be my guess that you’ve been there too… Do you think it’s just part of the ‘paying-your-dues’ process? Any light at the end of the tunnel? Also, is it possible to change an environment of sub-standard performance if that’s all they’ve ever known? How do we bring people to the next level of performance?
I’m not sure it’s bad for people to be below average around us. I think we can encourage people to pursue the right things and encourage them to excellence. But ultimately most people will stay average. That’s what makes it “average”. But…the cool thing is…some people WILL be above average…and we can help them get there. :)