Walk Like a God, Work Like a Dog
To the deep thinkers,
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Extreme confidence. Extreme humility.
The paradox of greatness.
I’ve been obsessed with this concept since I came across this tweet:
To walk like a god but work like a dog.
To believe you're capable of anything—yet entitled to nothing.
I think about that last sentence and I get goosebumps. It sets off sirens in my spirit. There’s something about those words that just feels, right.
The humble hero and the delusional deity packaged in one—what could be more human than that?
I see this paradox in my favorite musical artist, J. Cole. The same man who’s made songs encouraging his fans to “love yourz” (that is—appreciate yourself and everything you have) has also proclaimed the following:
“Ain’t a way around it no more. I am the greatest / A lotta n---as sat on the throne, I am the latest / I am the bravest, go toe to toe with the giants.”
The man with a net worth of around $60 million can also be spotted biking through the city (alone, without an entourage):
J. Cole is a rap superstar who carries himself like a common man.
He's got the confidence:
“I never stress in the booth. They feel the pressure, me? I feel like I just left the masseuse. Effortless, how I’m skatin’ on these records is proof. I put your favorite rapper neck in a noose.”
And the humble advice:
“Keep grinding, boy, your life can change in one year and even when it’s dark out, the sun is shining somewhere.”
Despite the love and adoration, J. Cole continues to work on his craft. He is in his late thirties (a veteran in his arena), yet he raps with the hunger of an artist who is still trying to sign their first record deal.
Many artists, especially in the rap genre, grow complacent after they’ve tasted success. Note Cole. As far as rappers go, he is a walking paradox.
Too much confidence, too much humility
Greatness requires both extreme confidence and extreme humility. You must, even when nobody else does, believe you can do anything—but understand that you’re entitled to nothing.
Many people live on one side or the other. The person who lacks self-awareness. The egomaniac. Those who’ve lived an easy life and therefore lack any kind of work ethic. They walk like a god but have no idea what it means to work or suffer for anything.
Whereas, there are others so consumed by their insecurities and limiting beliefs that they become their own worst enemies. They keep their light hidden from the world, convinced they’re unworthy of praise or recognition.
Their humility holds them back. They don't see their own potential for greatness. They work hard, but they keep all their work in the shadows. They never take risks. They don't ask questions or stand up for themselves. In essence, they are just as lost as the overconfident.
Live exclusively on one side of the pole and you hold yourself back. Getting by on talent or genius alone isn’t enough. Without the work, what does all that confidence matter? And what does all that humility offer if you don’t believe in yourself?
When reality strikes
I want you to imagine an athlete who was always bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone they’d ever competed against. Every time they stepped onto the field or the court or the track, they knew they were one of, if not the, best athletes competing.
They're a natural, a prodigy. They buy into their own hype and so they don't see the value in extra time dedicated to skill training or additional time in the weight room. They've made it this far without the extra work, so what's the point?
According to their experience in life, they are great, right? They can (supposedly) keep doing what they've been doing and things will always work out for them...right?
Sometimes.
But more often what happens is the person who's floated through life leaning on their talents and nothing else has to learn a humbling lesson. This reality check can sometimes be too much to handle for those who aren't used to fighting through adversity.
Some athletes get to college or try to transition into the pros and learn that talent alone won’t keep them at the top.
Some adapt and manage to carve out a long career for themselves. Others even go on to become stars. Many, however, don’t learn the lesson in time and are replaced before long.
In sum, talent can get you pretty far, depending on how much of it you have and what it is you’re trying to do.
But we all hit a point when the playing field evens out—when we are surrounded by colleagues, competitors, and peers who've closed the gap through maniacal levels of hard work, grit, and experience.
Their confidence comes from proving to themselves that they are capable—even if there was a time when they trailed behind their peers.
You mix that confidence with humility born from struggle and you get a person operating at the peak of their powers.
Believe in yourself
People in my life would likely describe me as humble. But I've never tried to be humble. I just never felt like I had a reason to be confident about anything.
I wasn’t exceptional in school. I didn’t grow up wealthy. I didn’t have charisma. I struggled to talk to girls. I was athletic but was never one of the best on any team I played on and I was even cut a few times. I'm a poster child for late bloomers. Always behind my peers. Always late to the party.
My humility was just insecurity. I had little self-worth, so hard work was really all I had. I've had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. In the past few years, I've sacrificed a lot to pursue my dreams. I wake up hours before my day job to walk, meditate, and write. I train my body and eat as clean as possible.
I value hard work. A part of me thinks I value it so highly because I don't believe I possess any innate talents. To me, if I want something, I have to work like an animal to make it happen. It just feels like that's always been the case in my life. I've had to sacrifice. I've had to suffer. I've had to push past my limits.
Some might find this all commendable. But a lack of confidence has held me back. I’ve had to shift my mindset and the way I see myself. At my core, I have a dream of changing the world through my words. I want to empower and encourage generations. To do that, I can't keep hiding in the shadows. I have to believe that I am capable of anything.
The humility has kept me grounded. But if I stay on the ground for too long, my goals will stay in the realm of dreams. I need humility, but I also need confidence. The confidence is the push to share what I have to offer the world. The humility keeps me hungry to improve and to remind me of where I came from.
The world doesn’t owe you anything. I don’t say that to discourage you but to do the opposite. If you want a particular life for yourself, you have the power to create it. But you can’t rely on talent or God-given abilities to do so.
Stay humble enough to know you can always do better. But of course, be confident in yourself. Earn the right to walk like a god, by working hard when everyone else you know is merely existing.
Remain grounded. Remain focused. Stay hungry. And never forget where you came from.
Believe in yourself and the power of your dreams. Greatness follows those who walk like a god but work like a dog. If you can live this paradox, you can accomplish anything.
What stood out to me this week:
On action over debating:
“Until we stop debating, we can’t start doing. We keep debating so we don’t have to start doing.”
—Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World, Ryan Holiday
We waste so much time arguing and debating. Online, you’ll rarely see someone proposing solutions. Instead, you’ll see posts upon posts of complaints and debates.
People nowadays would rather use their energy to argue or prove that they’re right instead of either finding common ground or proposing solutions. Whenever possible, let’s be part of the solution rather than adding to the negative discourse.
On the infection of public imagination:
“Public imagination is woefully underwhelming, and people have a hard time reconciling what they believe is possible with what is actually happening.”
—Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life, Jim Kwik
🎵Song of the week:
Thank you for your time—feel free to let me know how this post resonated with you or share it with a friend:
Stay blessed,
Amazing insight. The Cole reference is so true. He mixes mastery with humility. This article kind of reminds me of the essence of who Kobe was. Without a healthy amount of humility(realizing he was talented but not the best) he wouldn’t have been one of the greatest ever.
Great post Jon, thanks for sharing!