How many times have you looked at something on paper then seen it in person and it fell well below your expectations?
With people constantly faking their perfect pictures, profiles and living one life on social media and another in reality, it’s hard to trust the world and what we are being sold.
I remember seeing an apartment in NYC back in ‘97. They painted the greatest picture of it but when I arrived and actually saw the apartment for myself I seriously had to think I must’ve been smoking crack.
I worked on a music project with a well-known producer who had worked with everyone from Madonna to Chris Cornell and the album turned out like dog shit.
So how do we deal with a situation when things don’t match up to what they seem?
When people don’t show up they paint a picture of a lack of accountability and honesty.
I think Francis Ford Coppola shows the perfect formula in the movie Heart of Darkness, the making of Apocalypse Now.
His choice of leading man, Marlon Brando said he would show up in shape and ready to rock.
He shows up 60 pounds overweight and without ever reading the script.
His next choice Harvey Keitel was taken to rehab before shooting began and was replaced by Martin Sheen, who had a heart attack in the first month of shooting.
Dennis Hopper was constantly high and never read anything that was written. The studio cut his budget and shooting went way over time and budget yet it won multiple awards and is a cult classic today.
How did this happen? True greatness can be measured. The Olympics is the perfect example.
The guy who runs the fastest time in the 100 meter wins. No resume, no lip service, and no smoke and mirrors.
Run fastest and win or shut up.
But life, unfortunately, isn’t so black and white. To succeed in life sometimes you might have to live in the grey.
You have two options when things look good on paper and don’t add up to your expectations.
Walk away or make good of a bad situation. Sometimes you have to just cut your losses and move on… it’s just life.
Learn from the experience and chalk it up as a tax write off.
But what if you feel the Juice might be worth the squeeze. If it is you are going to have to buckle in for a long, tough ride and prepare for a battle and you never know if it will come good.
No one ever wins a fight. A fight is a fight. The most dangerous guy isn’t the guy who knows how to fight, it’s the guy who’s prepared to fight no matter what.
The guy you punch in the face with your best shot and then he gets up like the Terminator and keeps moving forward.
The first question you have to ask yourself is. “What am I prepared to do and lose to win?”
Everything win comes with losses.
We lose time which we can never get back.
The energy which is hard to replace.
Opportunities to pursue other deals.
If life hands you lemons sometimes you need to make lemonade and sometimes you need to toss them away.
Ask yourself this, “Am I going to regret waking away or walking forward? “
Sometimes you have to move on. Nothing here was meant to last.
Life in a body isn’t forever.
Make the choice that feels right and cut out the noise. If you have to walk… walk. If you are prepared to battle… then battle with no regrets.
