A few weeks ago I wrote a post on my site, World Domination with Arthur Pledger discussing the effects of time and effort over talent and natural ability. No creature on the planet serves as a physical embodiment of this concept more than the oyster.
The oyster is one of the few animals able to produce value using the uninspired material around it (see also the silkworm and the honeybee). Far from being an animal of grace and beauty, oysters are bivalve mollusks with an irregularly shaped shell, living attached to rocks, other shells, or on the ocean bottom. They have no means of locomotion, moving only when physically disturbed by other creatures or by wave action. Not the type of creature that one would expect is capable of producing some of the most highly valued jewels on the planet. But by investing time and energy, seemingly worthless materials are transformed into goods unlike anything else in nature.
As a metaphor for the creation of a new company or product, every idea you have starts out like a grain of sand; worthless, minuscule, and almost invisible. It is only after nurturing the idea does it slowly transform from a grain of sand into a highly valued pearl. Days and weeks may pass without any visible progress. Massive amounts of energy may be expended with little sign of advancement. It is, however, only with dedication, time, and discipline are you able to cultivate anything of value.
Pearls cannot be rushed, they cannot be “patched together” and they cannot be replicated. Oftentimes, new entrepreneurs and inventors will pounce upon a new idea, patch together a bunch of mismatched material or team members, and push the end result into the market, only to watch it fail. In their rush to make millions, they actually end up sabotaging their efforts and failing in market. Consumers want a quality product that has been properly cultivated and polished to perfection.
Like the oyster, you might not be the most beautiful of academic minds. You might not have the best associations or a team of PhDs helping you with product development or the navigation of world financial markets. But like in the case of the ugly oyster, time and effort trumps talent. The human mind has the same transformative capability as the oyster. By taking your everyday ideas and material, you too can create something of inspired beauty and value. No matter who you are, or where you are in life and academic skill, treat every idea that you come up with like a grain of sand within an oyster shell. Both you and your ideas have the ability to grow and develop into something far more valuable than its origins.
Thanks,
Arthur Pledger
http://arthurpledger.com
This post is the Block Standard Entry into my girl Kiesha Easley’s website contest at We Blog Better. Check her out here!
Nice post, Arthur!
Much appreciation! Dont be a stranger!