Comments on: Five steps to make yourself great http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:30:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Mkelly107 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-260245 Mkelly107 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-260245 I like the spirit Ms Trunk expresses here: sheer hutzpa to plot to be great--you have to have a lot of talent and success already to even take that attitude.   But, I think she goes a bit off the rails after her great start: "Aim to be great at something that matters in the world." Yes. It is obviously hard, and requires that we try a lot of different ways to use our gifts. But I would not automatically think that "what the world will pay for" is any better than "what the world will not pay for." Greatness is often a big surprise to the world that has routinely rejected the people who pioneered something great, and didn't get around to wanting to pay for it until much later. Classic examples in art: Vincent van Gogh, Picasso, and the Impressionists who were all rejected at first. This happens in all fields where the current world view is just not ready to embrace what proves to be a great new idea when it is first articulated. I like the spirit Ms Trunk expresses here: sheer hutzpa to plot to be great–you have to have a lot of talent and success already to even take that attitude.   But, I think she goes a bit off the rails after her great start: "Aim to be great at something that matters in the world." Yes. It is obviously hard, and requires that we try a lot of different ways to use our gifts. But I would not automatically think that "what the world will pay
for" is any better than "what the world will not pay for." Greatness is often a big surprise to the world that has routinely rejected the people who pioneered something great, and didn't get around to wanting to pay for it until much later. Classic examples in art: Vincent van Gogh, Picasso, and the Impressionists who were all rejected at first. This happens in all fields where the current world view is just not ready to embrace what proves to be a great new idea when it is first articulated.

]]> By: Do You Have "Superstar" Potential? « RecruitersNation http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-254810 Do You Have "Superstar" Potential? « RecruitersNation Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:05:21 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-254810 [...] The recent star-worthy twentysomething I’ve started working with is Melissa. She quit her high-flying job in Asian finance to be a photographer. While she was making a lot of money at finance, she decided she would never be truly great at it. Whereas she believes she does have a chance at being world-renowned as a portrait photographer. Maybe she will be, maybe she won’t. But part of being a star is taking a path that looks loony because it’s intrinsically limiting – you end up having a longer list of what you don’t do than what you do. [...] [...] The recent star-worthy twentysomething I’ve started working with is Melissa. She quit her high-flying job in Asian finance to be a photographer. While she was making a lot of money at finance, she decided she would never be truly great at it. Whereas she believes she does have a chance at being world-renowned as a portrait photographer. Maybe she will be, maybe she won’t. But part of being a star is taking a path that looks loony because it’s intrinsically limiting – you end up having a longer list of what you don’t do than what you do. [...]

]]> By: What it All Comes Down to — Say No! to the Office http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-249810 What it All Comes Down to — Say No! to the Office Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:15:57 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-249810 [...] being great, check out these two great articles – Average vs. Exceptional by Dragos Roua and Five Steps to Make Yourself Great by Penelope Trunk. [...] [...] being great, check out these two great articles – Average vs. Exceptional by Dragos Roua and Five Steps to Make Yourself Great by Penelope Trunk. [...]

]]> By: Lost and Okay with It « Redlmb's Blog http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-230973 Lost and Okay with It « Redlmb's Blog Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:18:50 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-230973 [...] Five Steps to Make Yourself Great [...] [...] Five Steps to Make Yourself Great [...]

]]> By: Myrna http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-230704 Myrna Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:07:37 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-230704 Enjoyed the article. Question: Are you saying that you decided to ignore the fact that you were great at writing about sex because there was no money in it? Or it was not a "big enough" greatness? That seems to contradict what you are saying. Creating a niche is good right? Sex is the biggest industry around. You could have become the next Dr. Ruth. Enjoyed the article. Question: Are you saying that you decided to ignore the fact that you were great at writing about sex because there was no money in it? Or it was not a "big enough" greatness? That seems to contradict what you are saying. Creating a niche is good right? Sex is the biggest industry around. You could have become the next Dr. Ruth.

]]> By: 5 Steps to be Great « One More Step http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-227631 5 Steps to be Great « One More Step Mon, 10 May 2010 13:29:28 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-227631 [...] inspirational for someone that is starting a career or unsure of their next direction. Another blog post from Penelope Trunk – 100% honest woman and [...] [...] inspirational for someone that is starting a career or unsure of their next direction. Another blog post from Penelope Trunk – 100% honest woman and [...]

]]> By: Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-226767 Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:34:43 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-226767 [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...] [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...]

]]> By: Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-226765 Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:34:43 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-226765 [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...] [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...]

]]> By: Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-226766 Consciously and Subconsciously – Gerhi Janse van Vuuren Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:34:43 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-226766 [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...] [...] of my eye. One person that brought it more into focus has been Penelope Trunk when she wrote about Five steps to make yourself great. But thinking that you need to let go of things that seem so important, accepting the idea and [...]

]]> By: Jonha http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/07/five-steps-to-making-yourself-great/comment-page-1/#comment-225776 Jonha Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:52:30 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2517#comment-225776 Hi Penelope, I love almost all of your posts but this is my favorite, so far. It's an honest self-assessment of what you're good at and that which you're great at. Isn't that cool that you're trying to unveil, discover and eventually unleash that which is innately given to you and improve it. I love it when you said that you have no time for mediocrity. No time for being second best. Did I mention that I visited the Pioneer Woman and Dooce because you said you both love them. I think they've captured a lot of people's attention but I guess most of your readers, you've ACTUALLY captured their hearts, and continues to do so. I love the comments because from them I see conversations and not just simple, "Hey I'm happy for you! I love it blah blah". It's not just your post that matters, its the interaction that it triggers. You are great in your own niche, hope you'd remember that. Or I wouldn't keep sticking around reading. Jonha Hi Penelope,

I love almost all of your posts but this is my favorite, so far. It's an honest self-assessment of what you're good at and that which you're great at. Isn't that cool that you're trying to unveil, discover and eventually unleash that which is innately given to you and improve it. I love it when you said that you have no time for mediocrity. No time for being second best. Did I mention that I visited the Pioneer Woman and Dooce because you said you both love them. I think they've captured a lot of people's attention but I guess most of your readers, you've ACTUALLY captured their hearts, and continues to do so. I love the comments because from them I see conversations and not just simple, "Hey I'm happy for you! I love it blah blah". It's not just your post that matters, its the interaction that it triggers. You are great in your own niche, hope you'd remember that. Or I wouldn't keep sticking around reading.

Jonha

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