Self Made. Its a Myth.

A couple of months ago I drove around in a friend’s 7 Series BMW for a while. This beautiful, sleek black monster really was sheer driving pleasure. Cars aren’t really my thing and I don’t much care what get’s me to A – Z. But even this car raised my pulse ever so slightly. My friend not so much. This car was his runaround, his real babies were increasing in value in his garage; one in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town. So, it’s safe to say that he’s not short of spare change.

I noticed that on the rear bumper was a sticker with the words “Self Made”. I thought, “Yeah, that’s about right … he is self made.” And on the face of it he is. He created this amazing business and by sheer guts, determination and hard work made it into something substantial. Something to be proud of. Something that is creating jobs and changing lives for the better.

But when I thought about it a little more, I had to question if he really is ‘self made’?

Did he really do this all alone or did he have help along the way? Did his parents help him? Did the university he went to help him? Was there a mentor or friend that showed him the path? Or did something or someone set him up for success even earlier? Was it when God kicked Adam and Eve out of paradise and sent them east of Eden where they turned into a primitive hunting band? Did their subsequent actions conspire to set him up for success? Did the blueprint of his success come even before that event? Dinosaurs, Stromatolites or the Big Bang that fused this planet into something that sustained life? Or was it even sooner? Do we go to the omnificence behind the Big Bang? And, what’s behind that?

It’s clear to me that every moment that preceded this present reality has conspired to set my friend up for success. The same conspiracy is also setting you and me up to succeed. We really can see further and do more because we’re standing on the shoulders of giants. Yes, even the tiniest living organism (Mycoplasma Gallicepticum in case you’re interested) is a giant and has had a hand in what and who we are today.

So, my friend isn’t ‘self made’ , not really. He, like you and me, is a piece of an unfathomable puzzle. And, maybe it’s not even a puzzle at all. Maybe it’s as simple as a benevolence that is totally vested in setting you and me up to succeed.

If you buy what I’ve written here then there’s only one thing left for you to do. Become quiet and reflect on what has come before you. If you do it right, your heart should well up because it knows the truth … that the only state you and I should be in right now and into the future is one of awe and gratitude that we get to play here for a little while longer.