Thank you for this great article, even though I’m quite happy not to be at a dinner party listening to you pontificate from your throne. If you have built an empire and your net worth is over $200 million then I imagine you have earned the right to preach from your throne. Otherwise, you may be like my middle brother: a very athletic jock, who never made it to pro sports, but has never been shy with his opinions. In his career, though, he has failed to focus and has not accumulated great success.
I grew up as a mediocre athlete in the difficult position as the eldest of four children, the other three being very athletic and very talented. It was painful for me to try and fail and to continue my search for something that I’m good at. Soccer, cricket, baseball, track, gymnastics, swimming. Yes, I was bullied briefly, but I fought back viciously, so no bully persisted. My quest for glory took me into music, acting, art, architecture, and, eventually of course, alternative lifestyle, drugs, and philosophy. I was pretty good at all of these, but never excellent. Today I am a mediocre equestrian and I absolutely love entering a three day event and finishing somewhere in the middle of the pack without being eliminated. I’m also a mediocre tennis player, playing on several 3.5 or 4.0 teams. For anyone who knows tennis, you know that 3.5 adult tennis is mediocrity personified. I love it and I don’t give a fuck if you don’t think I’m great. I’m also a mediocre cyclist, both mountain bike and road bike, and I will never break any world records, but I absolutely love coming home after a long loop where my muscles are burning. There is absolutely no need to be the best in the world. Enjoyment is what matters to me, and your opinion of my enjoyment is completely irrelevant.
It has taken quite a long time for me to learn that what other people think matters not at all.