All the people who created the music you love, the products you rely on, and the books that have changed your life, traded conformity for excellence. They discarded certainty to chase opportunity. They exchanged valuable parts of their own lives to create value that impacted the lives of others. They heard doubts — their own and from others — and stepped forward anyway. Most importantly, these people put in work when they didn’t have to. They didn’t have to devote themselves. They didn’t owe us anything. They honored their gifts by voluntarily bringing them to the world. In some cases, they were well compensated for their contribution. In other cases, they were ridiculed or ruined, only later gaining the proper recognition for their devotion and impact. They did not sit idly by believing greatness belonged to other people. They did not hide their talents behind fear, bury their potential behind doubt, or allow their visions to fade into the universe, never to be realized. They did...