Back to the Future

This weekend, I was invited back to my high school to speak on career day. I had been inside my high school just twice since I graduated in 1989. The kids are so much brighter, and at the same time, the same as we were. So many did not have a career goal or choice, but knew they wanted to make money. Sounds too familiar, given my past.

Its alot like traveling back in time, and speaking to yourself. I wish we had a career day when I went to school. I wish I had some sort of guidance, but I didn't even have a guidance counselor when I was in High School. I had never even heard the words "guidance counselor."

It was a dream come true. I spoke with 3 other Alums, 2 graduated in the 80's before me, and one graduated in 1995. They expressed the same feelings about life that I had. One told me that for years he felt inferior to Stuyvestant kids. I went to college with quite a few Stuyvestant kids, and they are more or less the same as everyone else. I think it comes from the fact that Tech is always ranked behind some schools. Back then it was 3rd best. Now we are 39th the nation, and in the top 5 of New York City public schools. You know....it really doesn't matter.

The Tech students I met were very academically bright, but are not aware of career choices in the business world. Even to this day, science, mathematics, and engineering is all they are ever told about. If only they could have one class, just one 3 hour class on business careers....it would make a difference.

Alot of kids were already accepted to colleges. Some are still waiting to hear back. I tried to explain....there is no one college that will make or break you life's success. There is no one major, and rarely, is there ever a single decision that affects the rest of your life (usually who you marry or don't.) You grow physically until you are about 18, and you grow emotionally, mentally, and spiritually for the rest of your life. So many students are worried about pressures from their families about majors, colleges, and careers. No one is worried about being a great human being. Non one is concerned about finding out who they are, and what they can do.

There is something very special about going to Tech. The school is hallowed grounds, like Yankee Stadium or Lambeau Field. There are 1200 students in the graduating class this year (I was told.) There are probably going to be 12 that change the world. There will be 120 that do better than survive. There rest will wander the streets of life looking for adventure or whatever comes their way.

It was a great experience, thankyou Brooklyn Tech.....once again.

On the Brink.......

After six weeks of presentations, packaging, market research, product development, etc......I reached an agreement in principle to make, market, and operate a line of male products for a famous NBA superstar. I had been working with his manager, and we shared different visions, but were able to meet in the middle. I wrote up a contract, accepting 25% of a company that I started, operated, and lost sleep over. Two days later they backed out. I was very suprised, but not disappointed. I was giving up too much to begin with, and now I know I can do it with any other athlete.

There is a voice inside all of us that we would like to get rid of. Its the voice of self doubt and pessism. Its the voice that keeps telling me to quit and go get a job. Its the voice that tells me that I can't succeed, that there is too much mountain going uphill. I've heard this voice in the past...my senior year in college, when I took 6 full time classes, worked part time, and completed a full time internship. I almost lost my mind. And I heard it again, when in my final year of my MBA, I worked full time, went to school part-time, had a wife and one child at home, and travelled for business a few times a month.

I'm lucky, I'm able to turn the volume down on that voice and turn it up on the voice that tells me to keep going, not to quit, to keep pushing, to keep striving. It developed this way while jogging. The self doubt voice is for losers. You have to keep focused on what you want, and keep moving in that direction.

Like Ali McBeal, I have a theme song. I keep singing in my head:
"I'm the cream of the crop, I rise to the top" from Jump Around. I've heard of political prisoners in solitary confinement that sang the same song to keep them going the entire time they were in solitary. Aren't we all in solitary more or less?