I was watching Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
This show is mostly comedy for me but there’s always some great business/personal development nuggets in there.
The episode I watched last night featured actor and comedian Garry Shandling.
Garry and Jerry were talking about deceased comedian David Brenner. Jerry was saying how sad it is that all of Brenner’s great comedy material died with him.
Gary was more focused on Brenner’s life and not his work. Their exchange went like this:
Garry: That [Brenner’s] material and your material is purely a vehicle for you to express your spirit and your soul and your being, and that’s why you’re fantastic.
Jerry: It doesn’t have any value beyond that?
Garry: It doesn’t have any value beyond you expressing yourself spiritually in a very soulful, spiritual way. It’s why you’re on the planet.
In Jordan Peele’s interview with Oprah Winfrey (and in her book The Path Made Clear), Peele says:
“You know, I will continue to make movies—the movies that I want to see. If I want to see it, I have to have trust that other people will. And if they don’t, I have to accept that’s what it is. But for me, the biggest reward of all of this has always been the fact that I get make another movie.”
When you do your art (teaching, consulting, training, coaching, painting etc.), you’re only brilliant at it if your inner and outer purpose is aligned. That’s why Megan Mecedo’s Artist Paradigm question is so profound.
“The guiding question is not “What will generate a profit?” The guiding questions is, “What’s worth doing even if it fails?”
When you are in TOTAL alignment with your purpose you will figure out how to make the money.
All the hacks and short cuts most people preach nowadays usually short change you. It keeps you away from the work. The math doesn’t work because the work is everything!
The work takes you closer to bliss.
The work takes you closer to your goals.
The work fuels our purpose and fulfillment because (as Shandling said) it is the vehicle for you to express your sprit and your soul.
Don’t try to attain success. DO the work and BE successful.
I had that backwards for far too long.
Adam