Food For Thought: Are You Really "Grinding"?

Earlier today as I was editing photos for a client, I came across two interesting facts.  Fact number One, Cinemax and its parent company HBO show the same rotation of movies over and over almost worse than FM radio's hot clock.

Seriously, I think is is so frustrating to leave, go to work, come home, eat a sandwich, find business elsewhere and live life outside of your couch only to eventually come back to find that the same set of movies are showing just like when you left as if you pushed pause or something.

I figure after the free trial expires why would anyone continue to pay to see the same 8 movies?  Without going off tangent, seeing or hearing the same rotation all day and night sounds like listening to radio.

Fact two, after my Cinemax revelation from watching Eddie Murphy's 1987 film Coming To America for the third time in 2 weeks, I comprehended more so than just understood that Samuel L. Jackson has been working professionally at his craft for a long time.  Jackson played a small role in Coming To America as a restaurant stick up man who was apprehended.  

To go in depth of this understanding, one of the reasons I love watching older movies i.e. Coming To America multiple times is because I always like to catch something I missed from before.  I also like watching older movies so I can recognize an actor that is huge now that was an extra in the background back then i.e. Cuba Gooding Jr. getting his hair cut in the barbershop.

This time around, all I noticed was that Samuel L. Jackson is the epitome of grinding meaning working hard.  

It seems everyone always talks about how they are "grinding" and use the term profusely but its interesting to hear those same people say "I won't do this work or that job is beneath me" including myself.

If you take a look at Mr. Jackson's career, he has been professionally acting since at least 1972 but his break out role didn't come until 1991 almost 19 years later.

The irony of his 1991 break out role was that he played Gator the crackhead brother of Wesley Snipes character Flipper in Spike Lee's film Jungle Fever.   

After acting for 20 years how many people would say, "I'm not playing a crackhead. I'm only doing this particular prestigious type of role."

Without preaching or pointing fingers at anyone specifically myself, I am simply saying most people would not make it half way to Samuel L. Jackson's success level.  To those that did reach some success would probably bow out once they got to Jackson's mid-range success point stating they have done it all.

To be completely honest, I think if someone ever needs a motivational tool they should look at Samuel L. Jackson for inspiration.

Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most famous, successful and revered actors of our time.  Jackson is also by Guinness Book Of World Records stats the highest grossing actor of all time, which without question is an awesome feat by any standard.  Still Mr. Jackson continues to work hard and deliver quality projects.

I bet if we were to ask Mr. Jackson, who has been working hard (grinding) since 1972, I'm sure he would tell us his motivation after already accumulating all the money and accolades would be his constant search for his friend Oscar.

I have stated time and time again, finding great motivation can be the single difference between success and failure and of course we should all know there is always something else you can do and do better. 

Samuel L. Jackson is and has been grinding, so the real question is what is "y/our" hold up?