THE WORLD DOESN’T OWE YOU ANYTHING

In ‘Clarity of the Craftsman’, Cal Newport defines the ‘passion mindset’ as: focusing on what the world can offer you. It reminded me of this video:

You develop a sense of entitlement when you start focusing on what the world should be giving you. If you chase your passion because you believe it will bring you happiness, you will be bitterly disappointed. Even the best jobs have their downsides and if you’re not aware of that you will feel unsatisfied. You’ll wonder why you aren’t happy all the time at this amazing job. Guess what? you aren’t entitled to eternal happiness either.

This is a mindset that people especially in the creative field need to be aware of and need to know to avoid. None of us are entitled to win Oscars or Pulitzers or become renowned in our field. We won’t get those things through the sheer power of thinking we deserve it. We have to work hard and even when we do that, it’s not guaranteed. Through this reading and the video of Cal that we watched during the lectorial I’ve realised, to my dismay, that it’s not about the talent. Talent can only get you so far. It’s about the work ethic, it’s about the drive. That’s jarring to me because for such a long time I thought I could get by, even become very successful, with my pre-existing skills. In the video Phil says:

“You have to put in the work that other people aren’t willing to do. By doing that you have a chance – not a guarantee – a chance to accomplish what others never will.”

We have to be prepared for the chance that even when we put in the work, we may still not become famous or successful. The world is unpredictable and maybe the world just isn’t giving you the opportunities you need.

This is why the ‘craftsman mindset’ is the mindset to adopt if you’re looking for satisfaction in your life. Instead of focusing on what the world is giving/not giving you, you’re focusing on what you’re putting out into the world. You’re focusing on the things that you do have control over.