Sometimes what you think initially as bad for you turns out very good for you. - Thaddeus Gardner.
Storyline:
Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. But then if opportunity came in a direct form, everyone would grab it. Here are a few stories worth pondering:
- In the late '70s, a fellow I knew got laid off. Newly married and with a new house, he had trouble making ends meet, and desperately needed some income. While looking for a job, he met this entrepreneur who had just founded a new company in the computer graphics field. Impressed with this young man's knowledge of design and passion for technology, the entrepreneur asked the young man to join the new venture. Of course he could not afford to match his old salary and offered this fellow minimum wage for engineers at the time and a share in the company. The young fellow took the offer which was a big risk. That company went on to become a very successful in the computer graphics field. Later, this fellow became Chief Technology officer of a company with $15 billion dollars in sales, and is now a very successful venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.
- Hilary Swank, two time academy award winner, was originally cast as a regular on the TV show "Beverly Hills 90210" when she was first trying to break into the Hollywood scene. One day, her producer let her go, telling her it wasn't working out. She was very upset and thought she failed as an actor. Two weeks later, she got the script for a movie titled "Boys Don't Cry", and because she didn't have her commitment to 90210 she was able to take the job. She was nominated for best actress that year, and won.
- Lee Iacocca, a President of Ford Motor Company, was fired in 1978 - despite his great contributions and having made $2 billion in profit that year. Chrysler, a competitor to Ford, was on the verge of going out of business and hired Lee to help turn Chrysler around. He revived Chrysler and made it profitable with a line of well-regarded car models. He retired in 1992 as one of the most widely recognized businessmen in the world.
- Nathaniel Hathorne, an employee in customs house in New England, lost his job due to politics when there was a change of government in Washington. His wife encouraged him to return to his life long passion of writing. Two years later in 1850, he published The Scarlett Letters. The book became an immediate best seller and his life changed for the better ever since.
Reflection: "When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Alexander Graham Bell
Your Reflection?