delusion to success pipeline
Fact: I am a delusional b*tch. I know it, my friends know it, my ever-stretching bank account knows it.
There was a time when I denied this, seeing delusion as a weakness and forcing myself to be grounded back in reality. But what happens when you give in to your delusions justtt a little bit? Will you find yourself falling into a pit of far fetched dreams, or will the seemingly impossible happen?
Is delusion the secret to success?
Case Study #1 - Onijah Robinson
Onijah Andrew Robinson Is a Fashion Girl Now
Onijah Robinson was a 33-year old woman from New York with a Nicki Minaj-filter and a dream. The world followed her story on TikTok, laughing but rallying behind the woman who moved to Pakistan for a (suspect at best) marriage and seemingly took over everyone’s feed as she demanded money for who knows what. The epitome of delusion, but “respect to da law” is now engrained in every Gen Zer I know’s vernacular.
Upon her return to New York, Robinson is now a living social media legend. Her story captivated modern media and she’s been featured on top pages everywhere from Netflix to The People Gallery. Onijah Robinson is a delusion success story. She set out with a goal to get married and “rebuild” Pakistan, and although she may not have changed the country, her success has carried beyond our phone screens.
Case Study #2 - Issa Rae
How Issa Rae Is Future-Proofing Her Career In Hollywood By Building An Empire
Issa Rae - we all know her, love her, and watch her. What started as a Yotube series telling the stories of Black girls, evolved into a major network TV show, a fan-favorite film, a successful prosecco line, L.A. based restaurants and cafes, and the list goes on. In a 2016 interview with The Cut, Rae recalls how her father pressured her to study political science but later found her passion in examining black art, leading her to create first a web series then an organization to help writers of color in Hollywood. Now almost a decade later, she’s a household name with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and a bevy of people dying to work with her.
As a 20-something year old creating Youtube content, the success Issa Rae has accomplished now might’ve seemed like a pipe dream. But she believed in herself, and when you believe in yourself so vividly, someone else will too.
Delusion, in its simplest form, is a version of manifestation. It’s believing something to be so true to the extent that it is as far as you’re concerned. And if you aren’t believing in your goals, your future, to the point where no one could tell you it isn’t happening, then aren’t you cheating yourself a little bit?
We’ve grown into a society where “fake it till you make it” drives every aspect of our lives, but sometimes you really do have to fake it until you make it. And I’m not talking pretending you’re married to Damson Idris every day, but walking in the path that you know is destined for you until it becomes yours. Yes, there’s still work that has to be done because you can’t just blow out a birthday candle and expect everything to magically happen for you, but when you believe that everything you want is already yours, it actually can be.
I read this passage from my recent book, Parable of the Talents, and it matched my thoughts perfectly: “If you want a thing – truly want it, want it so badly that you need it as you need air to breathe, then unless you die, you will have it. Why not? It has you.”
Everything we want is only a delusion away - your dream relationship, dream career, dream apartment. Let your delusions be the fuel that keeps you striving towards your goals, because every accomplishment was once a delusion you believed in and made come true.