“When I be askin', 'Yo, where did all the passion go?'" - AtmosphereTonight I was lucky enough to sit and watch comedian Louis C.K. testout some new material for an upcoming special. He played Governor's Comedy, a relativelysmall venue in my hometown. And while he was up there, about midway through an impeccablybrilliant set of raw, untested jokes, something struck me: Louis C.K. is, at this point intime, the absolute best in the world at what he does. No comic is more sought after. Nocomic is more buzzed about. No comic has his current drawing power.Andhe just achieved this level of success.He’s 44 yearsold.I couldn’t love that fact any more than I do. You know that at somepoint in his life, actually, probably, at hundreds upon hundreds of points in his life,Louis C.K. doubted himself. When he turned 30, he may have internally reconciled himselfto the fact that he may never be a huge star. And then again at 35. And then again at 40.The man began his comedy career in 1984. That’s, for many of his current fans,literally a lifetime ago. Yet, after decades of relative mediocrity in the career that heloves, Louis kept on keeping on. And that perseverance, that resolve, that belief in hisown abilities -- it paid off. And as the crowd was applauding tonight, Louis smiled. And Icould tell that it was genuine. It had to be.Success is never sweeter thanafter having tasted failure.Appreciation for the present is lost on somepeople, especially when success comes all too easy. And that’s not just true of theentertainment world. Remember the hot kid in grade school? He or she was probably kind ofa dick, right? Thought so. And as far as Hollywood goes, you don’t think people whoachieve success early in life sometimes take it for granted? Watch CelebrityRehab.For example, take the actor who currently plays Stanley in theAmerican version of The Office. With his look and at his age, the odds wereagainst him ever making it big in Hollywood. But now, at age 54, he’s in everysingle episode of one of the most syndicated comedies in the nation. His face is ontelevision, on some station, semi-constantly. You just know that 10 years ago he figuredthat was an utter impossibility. But he didn’t quit. Ours is aculture in which if something doesn’t come easy, it’s often abandoned. If atfirst you don’t succeed, try something easier and hope for the best. F*ck that. Yes,giving up and settling is far easier than trying hard and succeeding, but it’s alsoinfinitely less rewarding. Yes, a silver medal is great, but ask any Olympian -- it sureas shit ain’t gold. Win, lose or draw, I’ve always had an infinite amount ofrespect for people who try. Trying eliminates what-ifs. And, yes, at the end of the day,you might just not have it in you, but, shit, what if you do?What I’msaying here is that if you want something bad enough, don’t convince yourself thatit’s unattainable. What comes easy never stays. And, who knows, maybe not tomorrow,but one day, you just may wind up being the best in the world at what you do.Cheers,PeterHoare Continue Reading

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