Reach for success

  What struck me most during this weeks readings was the story about Richard Branson. “Struggling with dyslexia for  years, it had become painfully obvious to Rickie that he would be lucky to graduate from high school. So like many kids who suffer academic humiliation, he had hoped to go to college on an athletic scholarship” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007).  Richard played rugby in high school and tore his knee one day during a game. His future plans to graduate with an athletic scholarship imploded.

    Richard never went to college. One of Richard’s headmasters said, “I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” Richard did in fact go to prison for a brief period of time for dodging customs selling records. After serving time, “Rickie reconsidered what mattered to him, which helped him change the way he thought about his circumstances” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I think that really says a lot about a person. Being able to change your life around and make the best of what you have.

    Richard dedicated the next two decades of his life to becoming an expert in rock music and partying.  At age sixteen Richard dropped out of high school and started a British magazine called Student. Having great confidence and ambition really does pay off. If you’re like Richard, you know what you want and are willing to fight all odds to succeed, you will. “As his passion for entertainment, wild parties, and building relationships around music launched his team onto the bleeding edge of pop culture. What had been a behavior problem in high school had become his genius as a shamless promoter” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). Giving your all to what you love doing will pay off in the end, as Richard proves to us.

    At age twenty Richard founded a mail-order record company, then a record shop and also a recording studio- all under the name Virgin. He had learned to use his dyslexia as an asset: forcing and new ideas to be made compellingly simple so he could decode them. “Richard Branson had become a man whose name was synonymous with the hippest musical acts” (Porras, Emery & Thompson,2007).  Richard Branson is an idol for all of us. Having trouble throughout high school and going above and beyond to overcome his dyslexia and using it for good to start a major record label and become a millionaire.
   
     "Their passions create meaning in their lives that is nothing short of a lifelong obsession from which they seek no escape" (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I feel like this is so true. Loving what you do is so important in life. Going through life with meaning and such strong passions about something is necessary in order to be successful. I'm so thankful that I have a job that I adore. When I leave work each day I truly feel like I enriched someone's life that day, and that is a great feeling. I hope everyone can experience that feeling at some point in their lives.


References:
Porras, J., Emery, S. & Thompson, M. (2007(. Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters. New York: Penguin Group.