An Inspirational Story

There comes a time in life where one stops to think about what has transpired in life up to that point. Some find that they have lived life exactly the way they had scripted it. Some find that expectations they’ve had of life have not been met, therefore considering themselves failures. Then there are those that stand in the middle of the previous two. Those that, in reflecting, find that life’s road has unexpected detours. Yet, instead of giving up on the journey, they find a way to re-write the map. This is the group that I consider myself a part of. I see myself as a person whose path has seen many potholes and detours in the road of life.

Though I wanted to give in to my many failures in life, something within me desired to keep traveling, and to be optimistic about the smooth pavement that may lie ahead. This is why I was astounded to find out that one of the world’s most revered business minds, Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs, had encountered similar detours in his life’s travels.

Steve Jobs is widely known as the man that started Apple Computers and Pixar Films, the most successful animated film company in the world. But as I watched and listened to him address a recent Stanford University graduation class (video on TED.com), I realized that it’s hard to be successful in life without having previous failures. In watching the video, I learned the following about Jobs: He was adopted; He dropped out of college; He was fired from the company that he helped start (Apple); He was diagnosed with, and has recovered from, Pancreatic Cancer.

I was amazed at how this man used his personal experiences to give guidelines of living life. And even though his words were directed at the new grads of Stanford University, I found inspiration in the wisdom he imparted. I thought back to my decision to get my Master’s Degree in Entertainment Business when he stated, “Have courage to follow your heart and intuition, everything else is secondary”. Many family members and friends had scoffed at the idea of me choosing Full Sail University and not going to a traditional MBA program. Changing my career from Hospitality Management to Christian Entertainment business ventures was also looked down upon. However, my gut feeling said that Full Sail was the right place for me to bring my vision, drive and talent. 

I’m thankful that an assignment in my Business Storytelling and Brand Development class required that I watch videos on the ted.com website. Without that assignment, I may never have known that Steve Jobs and I shared common adversities. And like Mr. Jobs, I hope to succeed in life by using those adversities to fuel my dreams.