The Phase Transition Process And Us

In the world of science, "Phase Transition" is a very interesting and surprising process, which teaches us the biggest secret of success. When water is heated, from zero to 211 degrees Fahrenheit, it remains just "hot water." Apparently, it has a lot of energy, it is agitated, it is boiling, but technically, it is still trapped in the same state it was in before. It cannot run any big machine; it cannot turn any wheel.

But as soon as it gets just one more degree of heat and it touches 212 degrees, suddenly the laws of physics change. Water gives up its nature and becomes "steam," and this steam has the power to expand 1600 times its volume.

This was the power that brought about the industrial revolution in human history, which made ships weighing millions of tons run on the ocean and giant trains run on tracks. The water that was harmless at 211 degrees became so powerful at 212 degrees that it changed the map of the world.

The tragedy of our lives is that most of us spend our entire lives at 211 degrees. We work hard, we are honest, we go to work every day, we get tired and sweat. We stop just short of the boiling point of success, thinking, "Maybe we did our best." But we don't realize that we are only "one degree" away from success.

What is that one degree? That one degree is a little more patience, that one degree is a little more focus, that one degree is taking another step despite tired legs, and that one degree is finding another ray of hope in the darkness of despair.

Look at the history of the Olympics, the difference between a gold medalist and a silver medalist is not hours or minutes, but hundredths of a second. That small difference, that last-minute push, is what makes the winner immortal in history.

From a research perspective, it can also be called the "compound effect" or "marginal gains." The 1 percent difference between 99 percent effort and 100 percent effort makes a 100 percent difference in results. 211 degrees of hard work can only tire you out, keep you alive, but it cannot make you a legend. To become a legend, you have to throw that last degree of fuel where pain, fear, and laziness end and madness begins.

So if today you feel like you are working hard but not getting results, don't despair and turn off the stove, but turn up the heat even higher. You may be standing at 211 degrees, and just a little "push", a little more perseverance can turn your talents into steam, and then the whole world will hear the roar of your success. Remember, the difference between average and extraordinary is not one of ability, but of that last one degree.