This Is Success
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jul 3, 2021
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
Lying in bed, PETER is thinking.
PETER (V.O.): I've become so rational that if I dreamt something not right, I'd correct it to make it right.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In my last dream, I've succeeded in doing that.
Peter checks Quora notifications.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Recently, I've entertained dozens of answer requests on success.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): All want to succeed, but most people don't know how.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since the year 2000, I'd conclude my talks by sharing the success formula.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. LECTURE THEATRE - DAY (1999)
Among other STUDENTS, Peter (45) follows a PROFESSOR's delivery.
PROFESSOR: There are 3 essential elements to succeed: (1) Value, (2) Capacity and (3) Support.
Pausing.
PEPROFESSOR (Cont'd): To succeed, we need to align value, build capacity and lobby support, through effective persuasion.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): I can understand the conceptual analysis. To help enact bills, I do all of that all the time.
PROFESSOR (Cont'd): In certain situations, just capacity and support would suffice.
Peter is in thoughts.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Aligning value is never easy as people don't change their biases, despite persuasion. No matter can please all.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So, if a matter ought to be done regardless, it can be done with strong capacity and support.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He's a Harvard Chair professor. But the simple Harvard model doesn't seem to be documented anywhere.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So, as a takeaway for my audience, I always share the knowhow with them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But knowing how doesn't mean that one will succeed.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Through practical application, I've found out that the necessary and sufficient element is the element of support.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If support isn't there, one won't succeed, despite one's right value and capacity.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): An allied issue is whether not being successful equals to failure which suggests permanency.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To enhance the probability of success, one has to treat not being successful as a temporary setback.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But even if one is positive and patient, one may not get support after all, as circumstances are dynamic.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a fact of life that many right people don't happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Support is quite outside one's control.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That explains why somebody can't be somebody.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - EVENING
Peter checks a Quora notification.
PETER (V.O.): What's the greatest secret about success? That's the answer request.
Peter adjusts the position of a small fan near him to face him directly.
PETER (V.O.): I can share that greatest secret too. It's the windfall support one gets.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The one who gets the windfall support can become somebody.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Having talked so much about success for so long, I've got tired of it. I just focus on making myself a value centre.
Turning on his mini hifi system, Peter listens to oldies while working on a laptop.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Surrounding myself with positive vibes, I'm the right person in the right place at the right time now. This is success.
.FADE OUT.
THE END
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