Tuesday, October 15, 2013

129) Learn Lessons - Convert adversity into opportunity

"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."  Ziggy

At 23, Steve Jobs, with his friend, Steve Woznaik, started Apple Computers. As sales grew, he had to hire professionals. He hired John Sculley from Pepsi and made him the CEO. In time Sculley plotted against Jobs and engineered his ouster. Thrown out of the company he founded, he did not want to stay defeated. He launched NEXT and PIXAR Animation. These companies grew quickly, promptly Job to say: "Looking back, being fired from Apple was the best thing that happened to me". Sensing competition from NEXT, Apple bought it and reinstated Jobs as CEO.

Are we not in the same predicament, at times? Adversity stares us in the face and we are perplexed. How shall we overcome? We can draw inspiration from Steve Jobs and look for hidden opportunities. When we do that, we are setting an example to our children to face their own problems with resourcefulness. They will face difficulties in school, among friends and even among siblings. How they learn to cope with problems will be shaped by how we cope with our adversities. When we show courage and resilience, our children will rise to the occasion.

Besides, let us also teach them never to back-stab (like Sculley). Never to betray friendships. Never to play foul.