Spike Lee advises students at Pitt to focus attention on a job they love

I can really appreciate that Spike Lee is giving encouraging, yet realistic advice to students at the University of Pittsburgh. It's so important for young people to understand that "paying one's dues" is inevitable on the path to success. I also agree with Spike, and to add to his advice, doing what one loves makes it easier to pay those dues on the way to success:

"Film director Spike Lee, one of the few African-American filmmakers to achieve widespread success, prescribed a formula last night to college students who want to follow his example: Find a trade they love, hone their skills and work hard even when they don't feel like it.

'Do not believe this thing called overnight success -- there is no such thing,' he told a throng inside the David Lawrence Hall on the University of Pittsburgh campus last night. 'Anyone who's a success had to bust their ass for it. That means when you're tired, when you're grumpy, when you're sick, you have to do more.'" Source: The Post-Gazette

I recently had a conversation with my Dad about Spike Lee, which led to a very interesting discussion about "eating one's vegetables." When asked to give advice to people, Spike is known to tell people to eat their vegetables.

Although this advice is so simple, it can be hard to swallow. The fact of the matter is that most people want to eat cake, not vegetables. And it's the desire to eat this proverbial cake, and the pursuit thereof that actually keeps them from attaining their goals.

So I agree with Spike Lee, and my advice to you is to eat your vegetables!