Türkçe
Success… What is success? Is it, first and foremost, about starting? Is starting halfway to finishing? If you truly believe, can you achieve everything you set your mind to? And if you truly believe, should you never give up? Should you never quit? In my opinion, starting isn’t even close to halfway to finishing — it’s probably more like one-twentieth.
(“Başarmak…Başarmak nedir? Her şeyden önce başlamak mıdır? Başlamak bitirmenin yarısı mıdır? Eğer gerçekten inandıysanız aklınıza koyduğunuz her şeyi yapabilir misiniz? Peki, gerçekten inandıysanız asla vazgeçmemeli misiniz? Asla pes etmemeli misiniz? Bence başlamak bitirmenin bırakın yarısını onda biri bile değil belki yirmi beşte biri falan.”)
Do these words sound familiar? I’m sure some of you might feel a spark of recognition. These are the opening lines from Volkan Öge’s YouTube video Yaşam Sanatı, a famous Turkish content creator. For those who’ve watched it, this legendary video probably brought a smile to your face. For those hearing it for the first time, you’re probably thinking, “What the hell is this guy talking about?” Maybe even, “What kind of motivation speech is this?” Well, let them think that. We don’t need more of those cliché motivational videos anyway. There are thousands of them on the Internet if that’s what you’re looking for. Today, I want to talk about how hollow some so-called motivational speeches are.
The “You’ve Got This” Crowd
We all encounter these people from time to time — I admit, I can be one of them too. Instead of having meaningful conversations with the person in front of us, we just throw some nice words at them, sugarcoating everything. “You can do it, you’ll succeed, you’ll get through this, believe in yourself,” we say. But are those words really sincere? Do we genuinely believe in that person? Do we truly trust them? And even if we do, are we able to make them feel it?
This is the key point. Even if we are genuine, if we can’t convey that sincerity, what’s the point? The motivation we provide becomes like a flash in the pan — it burns out with the slightest breeze.
There’s no shortage of hollow motivation being peddled around these days. Sure, we might offer a bit of cliché encouragement to our friends with good intentions, but then there are the “motivation merchants.” They’ve turned this into an industry. Whether on YouTube or other social platforms, they exploit people to the bone.
And what do they say? “If you believe, you can achieve.”
Well, I say, believing alone won’t get you anywhere. Who are you fooling? Why sell false hope to people? No one can accomplish anything just by believing. No one can “start” something and be halfway done with it instantly.
Sometimes, You Need to Know Your Limits
Remember Volkan Öge’s words: “Know your boundaries! Know your place!” As people, we occasionally need to recognize what we can and cannot do. We must understand both our strengths and weaknesses and act accordingly. If we can’t draw, we shouldn’t waste time trying to become artists. There’s no point in giving false hope to someone with no talent for painting.
Similarly, if someone’s voice sounds like a crow’s, we shouldn’t tell them, “You’ve got this.” If it’s glaringly obvious that they can’t be a singer, why encourage them unnecessarily? Why should we tell someone with a poor imagination and barely any experience with books that they can become an author? Instead, we should be honest: “You haven’t even read enough books—how can you think about being an author?”Sometimes, it’s necessary to remind people of who they are—and to remind ourselves of who we are. Reverse psychology, when done correctly, doesn’t crush dreams; instead, it helps people realize where they stand. It wakes them up and sharpens their perception of reality.
Did You Feel Motivated?
Instead of sitting idly, start by getting to know yourself and being honest with who you are. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Put aside the things you’re bad at for now. Sure, you can improve in drawing to an extent, and succeed in sports to a certain point. Maybe you can develop a stronger writing ability—but beyond those limits lies natural talent. No matter how hard you try, you might never be like them. So, stop trying to be like them and focus on being you. It’s okay to be ordinary. We’re all ordinary people in our ways, excelling in different areas. Now, if you’ve regained your sense of self, it’s time to get to work. Success doesn’t come from just believing—it comes from doing the work.