"Applause is added motivation for strong minds and the finish line for weak ones."

If we wanna be successful, we gotta be willing to work harder than we ever worked and for no applause. Our parents praised us for scribble scrabble in coloring books. We desired the applause so much that we would run to them with every half done project, just for the validation. We cared about the applause more than the project itself.

Now as adults we’ve matured but some of those tendencies are still there. We fall in love with outcomes and don’t embrace the process. We don’t embrace the process because the fanfare is at the finish line. Everyone is there to like and comment on your before and after picture. No one shows up to the gym to clap for you while you workout. Applause waits on success.

While I was building my website I noticed that I kept sending it to ppl well before it was done, asking what they thought. The truth is I knew the website was dope af lol I just wanted to hear some praise from other ppl. But building a website is a small step in a much larger plan. And no one will be there to clap for me through every step of my marathon. Most of my friends are running their own. And just like a marathon, after running so many miles and reaching a certain point, there will be ppl waiting with applause and supporting words that serve as the water or fuel that keeps you going. But after that, you’ll be running alone again until you reach the next level. Learn to grind without the applause. Learn to clap for yourself on the inside. Ppl say never look back but I do. Because nothing makes me more confident with how far I have to go, than looking back at how far I’ve come.