The real secret of success

Ok, before you  think I've turned into a self-help book reading junkie overnight.  I don't think this book is not a self-help title - Malcolm Gladwell was a science witer before he churned out three best-selling non-fictions about how the world works.  

Anyway, I went to listen to music forum at The Annexe Arts Career Fair last weekend.  On the music panel were composer Saidah Rastam, sitar player Kumar Karthigesu and performer Sean Ghazi. Sean was relating to the audience about the hard work one puts in to excel in the arts industry while quoting the book's chapter titled "The 10, 000 hour factor".  Later on Saidah mentioned she was also reading the same book.

This must be some interesting stuff whoever this fella wrote about.  I asked Saidah for the title and bought a copy the next day.  Of course the book isn't about how to be a good singer but it tells me what I need to do to be good in what I love doing.

Outliers, The Story Of Success by Malcom Gladwell

in this book Gladwell reminds (or inform) us that success is a group effort, a group project, and not a single-person effort based on total meritocracy...sounds like something new to your ears?  go on read it, I will not attempt to explain it.  

Anyway, my personal gain in reading the book (am only halfway through, a personal record for me for having read half the book in three days, I'm usually a lot a lot slower) is the reminder of how important hard work & passion are, in getting to where one wants to go.

While chatting online with J, he gave me this equation: 

Success = Passion meets ability meets opportunity

(opportunity = external circumstances)

Today at my jazz class my instructor Ann advised that I practise at home, 20 times for each hand, how to lift and float my arm in a smooth & beautiful movement...as required in our latest dance routine, to be performed this June.

And over drinks after the class, another dance instructor Sherlyn quoted what Bruce Lee had once said (she read from a book on Bruce Lee), he would never be intimidated by an opponent with 1,000 different moves on a fight ground but he would be weary of an opponent who has done 1 move 1,000 times before. 

I think that is way cool, what he said.  Imagine if I had practised all my songs 1000 times before...or imagine if I practised my dance moves 1000 times...

This is a week for reminding ourselves of the simplest advise we knew all along - 

Practise makes perfect.