What Does A Good Break Feel Like?
Steve Harvey’s story is one of my favorites.
You’ve probably come across that famous video of legendary comedy star, Steve Harvey sharing his Apollo story. I love it! Not just because of the masterful story-telling but because of how inspiring it is. I like to go back to it when it feels there is a brick wall between where I am and where I want to be. We all feel this way sometimes, and at different phases in our lives, we desperately need one.
I recently listened to the story again, this time I noted down some personal lessons.
A Good Break is timely
Mr. Harvey was just on the verge of quitting when he got a message that changed his life. That’s really what makes it a good break, the timing. It’s like moving from 0 to 100 in the shortest time possible.
A Good Break finds you at what you do well
While it’s good to be excellent at anything you do, it’s even more rewarding to be excellent at the things that come naturally to you. I think the combination can be explosive, plus its easier to sustain the moment and longevity. Steve Harvey is still here, you’ll agree it takes a lot to stay relevant at the highest level.
A Good Break crowns effort not replace it
Steve Harvey had been putting in the work, it had not yielded much but it yielded enough to get him noticed by people who needed his gift. When the big moment came, it only validated the effort he had been putting in. I hope you can always remember this when the going gets tough and discouraging.
A Good Break inspires new levels of creativity
When Steve finally got his big moment, it was a tough one. He was pitched against some great competition with a duty to make an unimpressed audience laugh. I believe what made the difference for him was everything it took him to have that moment.
While we have no control over when and how good breaks come, it's important to be ready when they do. And if you are like me and could really use a good break right now, I hope you don’t stop pushing, I hope you don’t stop hoping.
Thanks for reading! If you liked this, you might find my article A Story of Privilege interesting as well.