Eclipse, formally known as Jaylen Lundy, is a shining example of what can happen if you don’t give up on your dreams. Despite having no “discernible talent,” Eclipse has become the latest dance sensation thanks to his creativity and commitment. His videos have recently gone viral, earning him thousands of followers and views across multiple platforms. There are many lessons to learn from this success story that could benefit anyone trying to succeed in life. The most important one is: If you don’t succeed at first, just focus on the person you want to become in two to three years.
Born in Oakland, California, Eclipse literally started life on the wrong side of the tracks. In his early years, he was raised by his mom in his grandma’s two-bedroom apartment in Hayward. Coming from nothing, the family lived where drug addicts, the homeless, and gangsters of all kinds freely roamed the streets. As a child, Eclipse had no “real” friends, and his family was too busy trying to get through each day to offer much support.
However, Eclipse knew what he wanted and was determined to get there someday. But there was a problem. When he told his family he’d become famous one day, no one believed him. Having never seen a successful person or anyone make it from their part of town, they didn’t see how he would manage to rise through the ranks and make any progress. That hurt Eclipse’s feelings and made him unsure of himself for a minute. He analyzed himself and admitted what he felt was true: he simply wasn’t unique. From his appearance to his intelligence, he was as below average as it gets, and he couldn’t change that.
But that didn’t derail Eclipse. Despite having no support system or someone special calling forth any potential he had, he tenaciously held onto his dream and started dancing. His path was littered with failures and decorated with ridicule. His schoolmates made fun of him, nicknaming him “Seizure” because it looked like he was having one when he attempted to dance. He was even rejected from his first talent show and judged by the girl he liked. Yet, he still didn’t give up. A year later, Eclipse tried again and succeeded in getting into the talent show, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Today when Eclipse dances, people notice. The women he meets want to take pictures with him, buy him drinks, and sometimes even join in. He had less than 2,000 followers a few months ago, but his audience has grown tremendously. Eclipse currently boasts 51K followers on Instagram alone, and the number is growing rapidly. He has also written a few e-books, such as Reinvent Yourself, which has taken him from an absolute no-one to someone people consider very popular in his city.
“You can fail, and that’s fine, but you have to attempt it,” Eclipse encourages anyone who feels stuck and discouraged. “99 percent of people quit before they start. Opportunities are presented in front of everyone ALL of the time, but they don’t want to put in the effort that isn’t guaranteed. If you want to gain it all, you have to risk losing it all as well.”
Eclipse has come this far, and he’s just getting started. He and his team have been working hard on launching his self-improvement app to help others reach their dreams. His dream is to build Eclipse dance studios and create a community full of hopeful and aspirational dancers. He also hopes to launch an Eclipse fashion brand that’s similar to his unique dance style.
Eclipse’s rise to success is a testament to the power of hard work and determination. Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks, he has persevered and never given up on his dreams. From starting out with no support or recognition of his potential, Eclipse has now gained over 50,000 followers on Instagram and has written e-books to inspire others. He has also launched his own self-improvement app and is working on building dance studios and launching a fashion brand. Eclipse’s story shows that anyone can achieve their goals if they believe in themselves and are willing to put in the effort to succeed. He encourages others to seize opportunities and not be afraid to risk losing it all in order to gain it all.
