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The magician, the aspiring, and the accomplished

From: J
To: Ian

I'm sitting next to Malcolm Gladwell in a coffee shop. Anything you'd like me to say/ask him while I'm here. :P

J
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From: Ian
To: J

That’s pretty cool.

Someday someone will e-mail their friend and say “I’m sitting next to J in a coffee shop…” Just a matter of time.

-Ian
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From: J
To: Ian

Heh heh... perhaps they'll say that about Ian Ybarra, but I'm hoping people will know my name and not have a clue of what I look like. Frankly, someone with Gladwell's hair is begging to be visually recognizable :D It was funny. He looked like he was going to do some work, but he sat very quietly with his coffee... drank it... and then left. Musta needed some quiet time (don't we all!)

[Get the skinny on Gladwell's wild hair and more in Fast Company's January cover story "The Accidental Guru".]

Ever thought about how when we spot someone we look up to, we examine him to no end. Not just what clothes he wears, but if he buttons the cuffs on his shirtsleeves on the first, looser button or the second, tighter one. Not just what dish he orders, but how many times he chews each bite. Are we hoping that if our observation is thorough and complete, we will discover a secret to one of the magician's incredible tricks?

We watch them because we wish we could be like them. But too often, as my friend J did and I probably would have too if Gladwell were sitting near me, we examine them when they're not even doing what they do that makes us wish we could be like them. How futile are our hopes that the magician will reveal how he pulls the rabbit if we watch when he is without his hat! Sure, it's empowering to be near people we aspire to emulate, but to merely be near them is pure entertainment (e.g. when people "read" US Weekly*).

It is the sin of the aspiring to be content with entertainment. It is the secret of the accomplished to convert inspiration into action -- go on to actually learn the magic from the magician, and then to practice and practice and practice it themselves.

* I hate that magazine.

Posted by Ian Ybarra on 11 July 2005

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Comments

Posted by: Cap at July 13, 2005 07:42 AM