"You got something you want to share with the world"

Five sentences in Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's Jersey Boys screenplay moved me to tears.

Frankie Valli is advising his aspiring yet frustrated musician daughter, Francine. "Look, I know how hard it is. You got something you want to share with the world and nobody gives a sh!#… But then things turn around. You gotta have patience. You gotta keep working." You got something you want to share with the world.

Tell me about it! How many other people feel that way? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? Everyone?

I can't speak for anyone, but those five sentences had me sitting up in my seat thinking, Yeah, I get that. I fully feel that.

What I want to share with the world is important. I know it is. The challenge is getting it out and into the world without a big platform. If I had done something historic and heroic, it would be easier.

But I haven't.

If I was an incredibly talented and well-known actor, athlete or singer, it would be easier.

But I'm not.

My platform is modest. I'm a teacher. And a coach. And a writer. And a father. And a husband. And not much more.

Still, that should be enough. Seth Godin, author or Tribes, tells the tale of how Nathan Winograd founded the No Kill Advocacy Center, which is dedicated to expanding no kill animal sheltering across the United States. Prior to his success in sharing his something with the world, Winograd (or for that matter, Godin) didn't have a big platform. He worked for his platform with his relentless dedication to his mission.

Which is precisely what I need to do and intend to do right here on What-It-Takes. As Brickman and Elice wrote, "You gotta have patience. You gotta keep working."