I met my best friend in 2nd grade.
I was new to the class and remember being sat next to him. He was drawing an uncanny replica of Sylvester the Cat — ok, uncanny to my 7 year old eyes — but uncanny nonetheless.
When finished he handed it over to an eagerly waiting boy sitting next to him. Immediately, another kid said, ‘do mine.’ And as I looked around, the whole class was circled around him as he rendered another freakish facsimile. This guy was a god….(little ‘g’).
That’s my first memory of Chris and looking back I think it was an early indicator of the success that would later come.
Unappreciated brilliance
Now, with our public school system being what it is, his ability to crank out Crayola masterpieces went largely unappreciated.
Chris was a solid student. But he worked for it. I know his parents would shake their heads from time to time trying to figure out what he would do in life to earn any money.
While wonderful people, these were the type of parents that from the time I met them would ask me what college I planned to attend. Ummmm I’m 7.
They knew and trusted in the belief that if you get good grades and work hard, you’ll be a success. If you didn’t get good grades, well, you weren’t working hard.
So anytime Chris would bring home a ‘C’ or a ‘D’ (godforbid), they’d crack the whip.
As a result, high school was a frustrating time for my friend. He was repeatedly told if you don’t get better grades you won’t make much of a living. You can’t earn a living with your drawings, the world just doesn’t work that way.
Mom & Dad, You’re Wrong
The truth is most of our self-made millionaires were average (or below average) students. They may have went to college but they struggled through our education system.
They aren’t doctors. They aren’t lawyers. They’re they guy who sells you carpet on TV. Or owns the factory that makes the furniture in your home office.
The guy who owns the small Web development firm who listens, works his heart out, and builds you a great Web site that meets or exceeds all your expectations.
They were not the star students. They had to work. They had to sweat. Nothing came easy (see the Millionaire Mind, by Thomas Stanley).
You see, being successful has more to do with tenacity and a recognition of the value of your talents.
That Same Sylvester Magic
Chris & his wife took us out to dinner and a concert the other night. It was a way of saying thank you to my wife for babysitting their kids. For the record I didn’t do squat to deserve this, I was upstairs in my office hiding…I mean working.
He had received complimentary tickets to the Akron Symphony Orchestra, one of his clients. We step in the door and immediately we are met by the marketing director for the orchestra. An extremely energetic guy who obviously thought the world of my friend.
I dare say he had the same glimmer in his eye as the first kid getting his Sylvester drawing crafted by Chris so many years ago.
While the tickets were free, the night was not cheap.
We had filets. We had wine. We ate like kings. And it was all paid for with the money he earned from his business.
It was then I stepped back and saw my friend for what he was. A success.
Ladies & gentlemen, Chris has arrived.
- Hot wife, who loves him greatly - check
- 2 rambunctious boys, 1 extremely adorable newborn girl - check, check
- Beautiful home - check
- Thriving business with all the trappings one would hope to have - check
- The admiration and respect of his friends — double, triple check.
My point
We spend so much of our time reaching for the next thing. Looking forward to the time when we’ve ‘made it’. When in many cases we already have.
Our challenge, is to continue to grow and build on those successes while at the same time appreciating how far we’ve actually come.
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