To quote my friend, Tim Spurrier, if you are going to do something that hasn’t been done before, you’re going to have to do things that you haven’t done before. (And he should know a thing or two about doing new things. Tim led a team that built a hospital in the Peten Jungle in Guatemala.)
You will have to make the appointments, place the phone calls, write the emails, schedule the meetings, take the risk, ask the questions, question the experts, read the books, travel a new road, read the instructions, request assistance, and learn how to do it.
And many times, explore beyond the limits of conventional wisdom.
And, if the answer is not the one you wanted, you might have to start at the top and do it all again . . . and again . . . and again until you are reach the point where you unveil your masterpiece, silence the critics, and enjoy the success.
Greg and I traveled to Fallingwater this weekend, to visit the famous house built by Frank Lloyd Wright that stretches over a 30-feet waterfall. Upon its completion, the house instantly became famous, and it captured everyone’s imagination when it was on the cover of Time magazine in 1938.
Falingwater is a masterpiece. Magnificent. Stunning. How a mind can conceive and create a house that doesn’t appear to stand on solid ground is amazing.
Our tour guide explained that Wright was nearly 70 when the Kaufmann family (founders of the famous department store chain) approached him about building their vacation home in southeast Pennsylvania. In the decade prior to the request, Wright had scarcely designed or built anything. Many people thought his career was over. That he was washed up.
Hobbled by the depression, dried up commissions and a growing reputation as an eccentric clinging to old-fashioned ideas, Wright was struggling in late 1934 when he first met the Kaufmanns.
Over his career, Frank Lloyd Wright built more than 400 structures and designed at least twice that many. More than half of those built came into being after the enormous critical and popular success of Fallingwater when Wright was approaching the age of 70″ [Fallingwater].
Past his prime. Economy conspiring against him. Old-fashioned ideas. No prospects. Outdated. Shoved aside. Expendable. Forgotten. Dwindling bank account. Bleak future.
Sound like anyone you know today?
So easy to sit idly by and become a victim of your circumstances. To point at your past. Blame your present. And give up on your future.
As I was touring the picturesque Fallingwater estate, I felt an energy buzzing around. Here I was, walking around a vision . . . transformed into a reality . . . which revolutionized a future. All because one man was willing to attempt something that had not been done before.
Not only did Wright refuse to sit by and allow his present circumstances to dictate his future, he seized the opportunity to build something that had not existed before, created his career masterpiece, kick-started his passion, and along the way did many things he had never done before. At nearly 70 years old!
What’s your excuse?
Do you want to do something that you haven’t done before? Then you need to be willing to do some things you haven’t done before.
Be willing to “explore beyond limits of conventional practice” [Fallingwater]. That’s what Wright did when he drew up the plans for the now famous (but he didn’t know it would change his life at the time), Fallingwater house.
Conventional is boring. It is following the rules established by others. It’s the safe bet. It’s what makes your friends comfortable.
If you want to do something you haven’t done before, step beyond conventional and into your future that is brimming with possibility. Do something new today.
Whatever you are, be a good one!
Deanna
