To Break Boundaries — Elon Musk the Revolutionary
Making the Impossible Possible
He’s labeled as unpredictable. Labeled as a crazy man. But deep down, this man is a genius.
Elon Musk is one of the greatest inventors and entrepreneurs of our time. Musk will go down in history as one of the most innovative people of the 21st century. People will have their opinions on Musk but, putting all opinions aside, we must give Musk credit for all of the amazing work that he is doing.
Two things intrigue me about Elon Musk. The first, his ability to spark innovation and make a change in any sector he comes in contact with. The second, his insane work ethic.
Musk is a person who has founded 6 different companies and all of them in different sectors. He seeks to constantly push new and innovative ideas that will change the world. He takes the items that are labeled as impossible and makes them possible. Ideas ranging from electronic payments, electric cars, high-speed underground transportation, and interplanetary travel. Musk is someone that I look up to for this.
Musk breaks the boundaries that other people place on him. He does not listen to what others say. If he puts his mind to it, he will do it. The reason why this characteristic resonates so deeply within me is that I believe that I am very similar to him in this aspect. There are so many different sectors that interest me, so many things that I want to do to make this world a better place. Society instead tells me to only pick one thing, tells me that I cannot do all of these things. People think I am crazy because of all these dreams and goals that I have. Musk is a living example that I can do all these things. That I can do whatever I want and accomplish whatever I set my mind to. He shows that you do not have to listen and conform to society’s thinking.
The other unique aspect of Musk is his insane work ethic. Once again, this characteristic reminds me of myself; the only difference is that Musk takes this characteristic to a whole other level. Musk will work 80–120-hour workweeks. He talks about if you want to get something done, you need to be willing to put the effort in. There is no secret to his success, he simply outworked every other person and achieved his goals. Musk also states though, that nobody should have to go through that many hours of work per week. He states it is not healthy. Yet, the Tesla CEO continues to push himself to the limit by working such long weeks.
To me, Musk presents a problem that I continuously face: working extremely hard and long hours versus placing other things first and working less. Whether it is booking myself with different projects or meetings all day, I seem to always want to be working. If I do not work enough, I feel unproductive and as if something was wrong. I am either all in or all out. This problem of finding the right balance is something I seek to solve within myself, just as Elon Musk is as well.
The ones who go out and change the world are those who are not conventional. They are the ones who do not follow the rules of society. I want to change the world; this will not be done by being normal or following the boundaries society places on me.
I challenge every person who reads this article, do not allow society to hamper you. Do not be afraid of breaking out of the shell others place for you. Be the person you want to be without thinking of what others will think of you. Be brave, be daring, and most importantly do what you want to do.
-Christopher Barry
