The Artist

It demands everything of you, offering very little in return. Here you may find only blood and dust. No glory. That’s why so few survive; so few endure.
Your weaknesses exposed. Your strengths questioned. Friends become rivals and morality becomes comedy.

Opinions are shallow but defining, and there is little room for compassion. Narrow is the road and steep are the mountains. Take a breathe and you’ll lose. Head up and eyes forward. Pay no attention to those left behind. A misstep may be fatal. There is no more safety net remember? We burned that years ago. Be cold in the face of success.
Be hard in the face of disappointment. Keep your mind clear of the clutter.

‘The toll demanded is not slight.’

There will be more failures than victories, and you’ll learn to live with it. You’ll have no other choice. Nothing is free nor is an inch given.
Grab the axe; cut away what is unnecessary.

Hack away the inessential. We’re going fast and hard. There is no room for dead weight. Drown out the empty noise. The useless words of encouragement. The self soothing admiration. These distractions will offer no help in difficult moments. And from now on every moment will be difficult. Do this, and you may still fail miserably. It owes you nothing, even if you give it everything.