Success stories are not guides.

Do you know how successful people — especially those who like to be interviewed on podcasts —tend to have a coherent story about their success?

It usually goes like this. They were young and ambitious. Then Something happened, and they Knew. That was the Turning Point, after which they “never looked back.” Decades since, we see them as they are today. They are radiating success, confidence, and wisdom. They come on podcasts, and we are eager to learn from them.

But the more we listen to such stories, the more we get lost into this rabbit hole of believing that success is a) a story; and b) a fixed thing.

It’s only natural that after listening to a few of such podcasts, you start searching for symptoms of a rags-to-riches story within your life.

Have you reached your Turning Point yet? Are you following your passion? Is that your Big Break? Or maybe it’s something else? Is that your Mentor? Is that The Thing?

This probably sounds terribly familiar to people who know Joseph Campbell’s “the hero’s journey”. It’s the foundation of all storytelling, including movies and books.

But the sobering truth is that all stories are made up. Sometimes, intentionally (like in writing fiction), while other times, unintentionally. Especially when we, humans, try to stay consistent — as we always do.

People who have achieved success might look back on their life and see a beautiful pattern that constitutes a well-elaborate…