“Not knowing what you’re doing has nothing to do with where you’re going.”
— Lizzo
Anyone will tell you that the road to success is a bumpy one, but sometimes, we just need to hear that it’s all worth it from someone who’s come out on the other side of the journey. You’ve heard her name before, seen her on the magazine covers, but the stories behind this superstar’s success can help us all embrace where we are and what we’ve gone through in a new light!
Our thought leader today is a Billboard chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning songstress with pipes that’ll blow your mind: Lizzo! She shares her journey and the slow burn that got her to where she is now that’ll have even those of us in the darkest trenches lifting our heads up again.
It could be easy to look at her meteoric rise in the past few years and think she was an overnight success, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Her story is more like many of our own than we may realize!
Embracing the Slow Burn
As many of us already know, being thrown off course is the name of the game in life. How many times have you put your sights on a goal, only to stumble into obstacle after obstacle like you’re on a trek with Dora the Explorer?
Our dreams don’t become reality easily. But instead of getting discouraged by that, could we use it as a tool?
What if all of these stumbling blocks are actually helping us level up? If we are gaining new skills through every experience, could they accumulate into an arsenal that will one day make us masters in the face of our goal?
Although she is a monumental star now, Lizzo’s road to success wasn’t paved with gold. It was a slow burn of collecting skills—like mastering the flute, for example—and wading through the rough patches of life for years and years. Along the way, though, she picked up abilities and thought processes. From dropping out of college to working through devastating losses, becoming a chart-topping superstar was far from a linear path.
Her interview with CBS Sunday Morning will have you looking at where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going with a little more acceptance.
Because, like all of us, Lizzo wouldn’t be where she is right now without everything that’s happened before.
You can hear more from Lizzo by checking out her artist page over on Spotify! And give her a follow on Instagram to stay up to date with what she’s up to.
And if you’d like to see more inspiring content from CBS Sunday Morning, head over to their YouTube channel! They never fail to bring amazing stories to light that have us seeing our lives in new ways.
“You can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you’re doing. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself.”
— Alan Alda
When you think of success, what does it look like?
Is it a chart-topping hit song, a fleet of cars, and the most expensive wares, or is it a quiet life in the middle of the woods?
Wherever your dreams are taking you, know that whatever you’ve experienced has been preparing you for it. Keep gathering skills; think outside the box. Try whatever interest comes your way, because no matter what, if your success isn’t sustainable, it probably isn’t true success. Your full self should shine when you find yourself in that spot, and if it’s not, well—keep exploring.
Looking for more stories from inspiring thought leaders? Check these out next!
The Power of Saying Yes!
Changes as subtle as saying yes to new experiences can prove to be life-changing! Shonda Rhimes, an accomplished television producer, lends her wisdom from her experience with a “year of yes.”
Read Article Watch Video Listen to PodcastSocialite to Social Innovator: “Charity Water” Brings Clean Water to the World
A former nightclub promoter is now saving millions of lives by bringing them clean water. He used the skills he honed to develop one of the most successful non-profits we’ve ever seen—and you can have a part in it too. Here’s the story.
Read Article Watch Video Listen to PodcastAs I’m writing this article, the world is still in limbo attempting to figure out the COVID-19 pandemic. So many lives have been thrown off track, so many dreams put on hold. This moment holds something else, too, though. Regardless of where we are, we’re each picking up new skills. Whether it’s learning more about a subject we’ve always been interested in, discovering how we can be of help in our communities, or realizing our own strength and new ways we can take care of ourselves, we can be building our base for our futures.
What do you want to see more of in your life? Who’s there with you?
Stay open to new possibilities!
- Sam
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” —Albert Einstein
Don’t miss out on a single article!
Enjoy unlimited access to over 500 articles & podcast that give you a positive perspective on the state of the world and show you practical ways you can help.
Notes:
- CBS Sunday Morning. “For The Record: Lizzo.” YouTube, 6 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSqV_Z0YzE&feature=emb_title. Accessed 25 Aug. 2020. ↩
