Don’t Try
“Don’t Try” are the words inscribed on the headstone of German-American poet, novelist, and short-story writer, Charles Bukowski aka Henry Charles “Hank” Chinaski (his literary alter ego).
Bukowski’s raw, gritty, and often, graphic view of life through the pages of his writing is what propelled him to become one of the most famous icons of our time. But with all of his success, what exactly did he mean by the phrase:
“Don’t Try”?
Most people would take it to mean that Bukowski said not to try at all, but in fact, it’s the exact opposite:
You don’t try. That’s very important: not to try, either for Cadillacs, creation or immortality. You wait, and if nothing happens, you wait some more.
What he’s saying is that you can’t force anything in life. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a writer, you must keep plugging away at your craft until the inspiration finds you. Everything that you’re doing is a path to your success, Pablo Picasso said it best, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”.
I think the biggest misconception about success is that it happens overnight, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. The idea that you’re going to “try” and become successful or “try” to start a business doesn’t work unless you go all in. The failures and struggles you encounter along the way become the pages of your story.
“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.”
Although Bukowski drunkenly staggered through the majority of his adult life in saloons, horse races, and seedy hotels, he always poured it back it into his work (and possibly another beer). The point is, those experiences became his writing, and he always made time to work. The thought of “trying” never occurred to him. So when you’re ready to give up, remember the phrase, “Don’t Try.” Go all in. It’s all apart of the journey.
Here’s to you, Hank.
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.
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