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# Never take success stories at face value
- URL: https://www.techstories.co/never-take-success-stories-at-face-value/
- Published: 2024-04-20T15:02:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-04-21T15:09:00.000Z
- Description: We only ever see and talk about the tip of every success or one facet of every truth.
- Author: Paul Mah
- Tags: Inspiration

We only ever see and talk about the tip of every success or one facet of every truth.

**The untold stories**

The untold stories behind every success are many.

- The long hours.
- The sacrifices.
- The mistakes.
- The failures.

These often only come out during conversations or interviews with those who have experienced them.

- Family support.
- Innate talent.
- Fortune.
- Timing.

But it's more than that. Some advantages or privileges are not easily conveyed.

**The unseen advantages**

When I wrote "Would you freelance for the rest of your life?" (Read: [https://lnkd.in/gfBWPxNz](https://lnkd.in/gfBWPxNz?ref=techstories.co)), I talked about my last pay cheque in 2008.

Yet I must also add that I did enjoy several advantages when I started writing full-time. Yes, it is true that I never scored well in English at school or wrote professionally before that.

However, I:

- Enjoyed writing.
- Am a vociferous reader.
- Loved technology and worked in IT.
- Was a (cheaper) remote worker for US firms.

That's why I am never cavalier about recommending career paths or asking people to be a writer; there are simply too many variables at play.

**Find your niche**

So as you read inspiring success stories, remember to probe more to learn the context behind what worked. Then fit it to your circumstances.

Ultimately, if you are a square peg, don't try to fit yourself into a round hole.

Instead, embrace your unique qualities and leverage them to create your path to success.

What are your unseen advantages?