Something They Ain't

On being true to yourself

I was on a flight recently, sitting in the middle of a three seat row. Guy on my left was wearing some sort of leather pants, a vintage t-shirt, and just to complete the rock star costume he had the usual accessories: rings and tattoos. Guy on my right was wearing the most well-pressed suit that’s ever survived travel wrinkles, and his costume was completed with a beautiful expensive watch, and a handkerchief.

Here is where it got weird. The business guy was watching the new Led Zeppelin documentary. And the rocker was watching that show about Blackberry.

The businessman dreaming of being a rock star. The rock star dreaming of being on Wall Street.

Seems like everyone wants to be something they ain’t.

Although a turtle doesn’t try to fly like a bird. A weeping willow tree doesn’t want to grow apples. A Goldendoodle doesn’t dream of becoming a venture capitalist.

Only humans are cursed that way.

I wanted to be an entrepreneur. More than anything I wanted to be an entrepreneur. And I worked for it. I suffered for it. And I’ve wanted to be more successful, way more successful, but you take what the universe gives you.

There is no room for resulting here, and there is no room for regret. Not in the cold world of business. You remember your blessings, you show gratitude, you live with your own decisions, and you fight another day. That’s the formula.

You fight the fight, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But you always learn, you adjust and grow tougher and smarter and never look back.

But everyone wants to be something they ain’t.

And there are days. There are days I wake up and think, Man, I could run this or that company, or this or that department within that company. Or this or that small little cog of some giant wheel. I could just focus on the work and not capital raising or team building or finding niche opportunities or dental insurance for the kids or staying ahead of waves of deeper-pocketed competitors.

It would be so simple. It would be so peaceful. It would be so productive.

But it’s something I ain’t.

The rocker probably got off the plane and went to his gig. I’ll bet he forgot all about the trials and tribulations of the Blackberry corporation the next day. The businessman went to his meeting with his miraculously unwrinkled suit and didn’t think about Led Zepplin again until he put his headphones in for his next workout.

Everyone can dream about being something they ain’t. But everyone has to live the life of who they are.