success. and the defining of success.
my first disclaimer is that i have always been lucky enough to find good teachers. lucky that my worst traits have historically been overlooked or at least outweighed by potential and faith.
that first picture is nearly 10 years old. it was taken a couple months after i signed my first commercial lease for the station. 10 years is one of those milestones, one of those things that makes us – or at least me – reflective.
so often, we talk about the people that made an impact on us, but we don’t talk to them. we tell our stories, stories that shaped us, but some peoples impact is so monumental to our growth that, in a way, it becomes invisible.
it is amazing how much a discussion can change your environment. how much an example can change your perception of what is possible. mark did that for me. there was a bright line of before and after, a concrete change. two days of discussion that took years to unpack.
one thing that is sticking out is that he told me to never meet my heroes.
what i think he meant is never expect the people you admire to not be people. to never let the perceptions of others stop me from believing that i too am human. he showed me a lot, how to ask questions (most of our initial email conversation was him asking me questions in response to something i asked of him) he introduced me to so many people, people who on the surface seemed wildly different, even opposing in view – but after exposure i could feel the resonance beneath.
mark taught me information, but more than that he showed me how to employ it. provided me with an example and a challenge. constantly learning, constantly open to new ideas.
mark showed me something about success. about defining success. about understanding language in practice, as well as in theory. this constant questioning helped me understand the underlying assumptions i was carrying, and helped me practice changing them.
success. knowledge. friendship. love.
these are not things we acquire, but practices we engage in. they are relationships.
and, at least for the next few months, i intend to practice. to share a little more about the people who shaped me, and through that shaped this project.
it seems fitting to start with mark twight – someone who truly reshaped my perception, someone who still provides a challenge, and an example. so in the off chance you haven’t… check it out.
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