Moving beyond the iconic snap-shots of historic figures has been the most rewarding part of doing research for my writing. None of them are who I assumed them to be. I have yet to run across any mutant brains, or super-abilities that the rest of society doesn’t have at its disposal.

To me, that’s what makes the greatness of those I’ve studied so remarkable: They’re normal. I’m normal too — mostly anyway — so this has been a great inspiration to me. This inspiration is what I try to convey in my writing. I think we are all capable of greatness of some sort. In this, I’m certainly not the first to feel this way. Returning back to Van Gogh’s letters, take a look at what he wrote to his brother just prior to deciding to become an artist. At the time he wrote this, he was a 27 year old who hadn’t shown any of the signs of greatness we know him for today:

“I would be very pleased if you could see me as something other than a kind of idler.

“Because there are quite different kinds of idler. There is the man who is idle from laziness and lack of character, from the baseness of his nature. You can, if you like, take me for one of these.

“Then there is the other kind of idler, who is idle despite himself, who is consumed inwardly by a great desire for action, but who does nothing, because it is impossible to do anything, because it is as if he were imprisoned in some way, because he lacks what he needs to be productive, because inevitable circumstances have reduced him to this. Such a man does not always know himself what he could do, but he feels instinctively: nevertheless I am good at something, I can sense a reason for my existence! I know that I could be quite a different man! How could I be useful, what could I do? There is something within me, but what is it?

“That is quite a different kind of idler. You can, if you like, take me for one of these.”

After writing this, he dedicated himself to his quest to become an artist. His potential was pent up in him until he was 27. Longer than that actually, since he had to go through the same painstaking process the rest of us do to develop expertise. I look at Van Gogh and I wonder just how much pent up potential there is out there in the world. How many people are idle, like Van Gogh was, because they are ignorant of their own potential and their ability to develop it?

My mind has been completely unshackled by the implications of this all this. It’s taking a lot of discipline to finish the book because I feel the irresistible urge to use my time applying all the principles of learning to my art. I feel, however, that I have to share what I’ve learned first, so onward I write.

It sounds like your on the right track.

“Not sure ill rack up 10 000 hours in the subject im just going to concentrate on getting through the first hour.”

This statement was prophetic. On the next post on the subject I will talk about planning, which will make you feel good about your approach.

Gannon

Thanks again!