The path to greatness is usually full of challenges, one of them is being criticised by others, the feeling of being misunderstood and ridiculed usually ensues. Perhaps most people already know this. But in order to accomplish great things facing criticisms alone won’t be enough. Everyone faces such challenges in their life and there’s no guarantee that greatness will be achieved. The most important thing about the path to greatness is persistence with passion, the ability to enjoy the journey no matter what.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
The story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a relevant and inspiring one. The main character Jonathan (a seagull) always loved flying but never got much support from his family and the broader seagull community. He was ostracised by his community because he wasn’t practical. Most seagulls only cared about eating. That was the typical life of a seagull, merely eating to satisfy their hunger. Flight was always a secondary thing. It’s a means to eat, not something to do for the sake of it.
Persistence While Facing Criticism
But Jonathan ignored all of that, he kept flying and practicing diving. Even though there was no guarantee of any food, he focused on his craft, flying. Ironically, in the process of mastering his art, he was able to catch tastier fish because he became masterful at diving. He later met other gulls who excelled at flying and diving and found a new tribe who understood him. He discovered a whole new world by persisting on what he was passionate about, flying. He achieved something his peers never even dreamt about.
Achieving Greatness
The path to great accomplishments is full of challenges. One of them is the criticisms from others. This is very tough for a human being to endure as we are social beings. It is therefore a great challenge for anyone who has to experience that. The more you dare, the more they will be against you. You will inevitably face being marginalised and ridiculed by your community. But if you truly believe in what you do and keep at it, you will eventually come out as the winner. The key is to be able to keeping going when the going gets tough. This is the path to greatness.