INSPIRATION POINT
Recently, I was asked what inspires me. My answer to this question was simple. I have always been inspired by those who have done it. Because once you know it is possible for someone else, then you know it is possible for you. Given all the negativity around us in our world today, I thought this might be the perfect time to share some optimism. Inspiration is all around us if we are looking for it. Whatever obstacles we might feel are in our way because of the circumstances that have been thrust upon us, we can be stronger than those circumstances. These individuals prove it and here is why they inspire me:
MICHAEL JORDAN on NOT GIVING UP: Failing to make his high school varsity team, Michael Jordan told his mother he wanted to quit basketball. Imagine if he had. The world would have gone without ever knowing the greatness of this legend. It would have been easy to walk away. What wasn’t easy was what happened next. He decided to go for what he wanted, and he worked tirelessly every day to get it despite a constant barrage of obstacles. That led to a spot on the varsity team the next year, which led to a spot at UNC, which led to a draft pick by the Bulls. You see where this is going. We all hear that we should never give up. But what does that look like? It looks like Michael Jordan.
GEORGE LUCAS on FACING FEAR: Today he is considered one of the most important figures in film history. We all know the magic he created through Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the impact he has had on movie special effects through ILM. Yet this film giant feared the world would never embrace his ideas. Expecting what he presumed would be a disastrous opening of the original Star Wars in 1977, Lucas left town for Hawaii, hoping to fly under the radar and ride out the negative press. Lucas admittedly lacked faith in his film succeeding – and so did his cast, his friends, and even the studio at 20th Century Fox who released it. Lucas feared Star Wars would be a box office failure. But Lucas believed in his story and put it out there anyway. Hindsight makes that decision look easy. But Lucas could have given into his fears very easily. The obstacles around the actual filming of Star Wars alone almost drove him to quitting. If he had, we would have lost this indelible mark on pop culture and the movie business as we know it today would not exist.
P.T. BARNUM on TRUSTING YOUR INSTINCTS: Despite the most meager of beginnings, P.T. Barnum dared to see the world as a place of opportunity and wonder. He trusted his instincts and embraced the risk of the unknown. Signing Jenny Lind despite never having heard her sing a note is the perfect example. Fast forward and today he is credited with having invented showbusiness and is regarded as having created what we now call the “publicity campaign”. Although the showman’s early works are viewed as hoaxes, he was a genuine innovator who reveled in the celebration of creativity and showcased the uniqueness that lies in every one of us. A true entrepreneur, he inspires the American Dream, where anything is possible if you believe in yourself and have the audacity to go for it.
RICK BAYLESS on RISK TAKING: Another Chicago icon, Rick Bayless’s story did not begin in cuisine. While he comes from a family of restaurateurs, Rick went to school for Linguistics and Anthropology, never intending to get into the restaurant business. But he couldn’t stop thinking about food! And his love of Mexico from childhood visits called to him, sending him on a life-long mission to bring their authentic cuisine to the rest of the world. After spending months in Mexico learning his craft, Rick borrowed against his parent’s 401k in order to open Frontera. Risking his parents’ retirement could prove to be perilous, and so Rick knew he had no choice but to make the restaurant a success. And did he ever. But he could just as easily have walked away, unwilling to take such a high risk. Only when you believe in yourself and your mission, not taking the risk is what becomes the perilous choice.
BARBARA CORCORAN on FAILING FORWARD: My favorite Shark, Barbara Corcoran is an inspiration not only because she is a gritty self-made businesswoman, but because of the way she thinks about business period. I’ve been a follower of Barbara for many years and what has always inspired me about her is that she never makes excuses. Born one of ten children who shared her parents’ two-bedroom flat, she could easily have let circumstances dictate her life’s possibilities. Barbara was a D student thanks to undiagnosed dyslexia and was told by teachers and peers that she was just stupid, something she still has to fight believing. But she never stopped daring to dream and she had 22 jobs on her resume to prove it. When the opportunity presented itself, she took a $1,000 loan and parlayed it into $66 million. My favorite mantra of Barbara’s, “Fail hard, get up, dust yourself off, and your next big success is right around the corner. If you are too busy feeling sorry for yourself, you might miss it.”