This is a story about one person who really wanted to become successful in his craft. He went to a well-known master and asked: “How can I become as successful as you?” The master replied: “I will tell you my secret. Come to the beach tomorrow at 4 a.m.” The young man was very surprised and said: “I don’t want to swim, I want everything to work out for me.” The master answered: “If you truly want it, meet me tomorrow at 4 a.m.”...............

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Stage 1.

Morning came, the guy arrives at the beach in a business suit, expecting to learn the secret. The master asks: “Do you still want to become successful?”

He answered: “Very much.”

– “Then go into the water.”

– “Into the water? But why? I’m in a suit!” He went (80% give up already at this stage (I’m in a suit, social status)) inside his voice — well, I went into the water and that’s enough..................................................

Stage 2.

He walked on, the water already waist-deep. He stopped and said: “Let’s meet tomorrow, I’ll come to the beach in trunks and we’ll walk through the water” (putting things off until tomorrow) inside his voice: okay, that’s enough, we can do it tomorrow..............................

He went (80% give up already at this stage (I’m in a suit, social status)) inside his voice — well, I went into the water and that’s enough..............................................................

Stage 3.

The master says: “Go further into the water.” The water was already up to his chest. The guy says — “That’s enough, people are already watching us!” (leaving the comfort zone, people’s stares) inside his voice: What nonsense? Why do I need this?...............................................................................

Stage 4.

The master leads him further; they moved far from the shore, the water up to the neck. The man says to the master: “You’re crazy, and what now? What the hell did you bring me here for?” (anger, disappointment associated with losing faith in the master) inside his voice: this is the limit!!!............................................................................

Stage 5.

The master grabs the guy by the head and starts drowning him. The guy thrashes, scratches. (SUDDENLY ALL DOUBTS DISAPPEAR, COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN PARENTHESES OF STAGES 1, 2, 3 AND 4. FATIGUE DISAPPEARS AND YOU ARE LEFT ONE ON ONE WITH WEAKNESS (FEAR) inside only the voice “YOU MUST SURVIVE”!) Only then does he manage to break free and take a breath..................

........... The master tells him: You wanted to know how I make it all work? So I showed you! Only by fighting for yourself, for your life, do you become stronger. Now you know my secret...

– “When you were under water, what did you want most?”

– “To live.”

And then the master answered: “WHEN YOU WANT TO HAVE SUCCESS AS MUCH AS YOU WANTED TO LIVE, THEN YOU WILL BECOME SUCCESSFUL!” When you lack air, you don’t care about the other problems (that you’re wearing an expensive suit, that people are watching you, your social status, etc.). The only thing that worried you was to survive, to take a small breath of fresh air. Nothing else! And when you reach the point where you want success as much as you wanted to breathe in that situation, you will become successful! Most of you only say that you want to become successful, but it is a weak desire. You don’t want it the way you want to watch TV, go to a party, etc. You don’t want success the way you want to sleep.

And I’m here to tell you that if you want to be successful, you must fight. All people are created equal, it’s just that some of them fight to the end!

I once heard this story from Greg Plitt. I’m retelling it the way I remember it.