Different Starting Points

I saw this video a couple years ago and it changed my view of what it takes to be successful.

See, I’ve always believed that anyone has the power to accomplish whatever they set out to do, and I still believe that. Professional, personal, spiritual, or charitable, I love learning about people’s journeys to success and the hard work and dedication they put in along the way. I’m constantly moved by the stories of those that overcome great hardship to be successful.

I’ve worked hard to get where I am today, and at the same time, I haven’t always appreciated just how advantageous it has been to have access to certain things in my life, things that I personally had no control over. Watching this video, I asked myself; Does acknowledging the fact that some of us get a head start in life cheapen our accomplishments? I don’t think so. Regardless of your starting point, success does take hard work. There are countless stories of those who have access to all the resources in the world and squander it away. We can be proud of our own path, and at the same time, acknowledge that while there are many stories of those who reach success despite having no head start, they are usually the exception and not the rule.

It’s important for us to recognize that our journeys are not all the same. We are all dealt a different hand in life and it’s up to us to play that hand the best we can. But recently I’ve been pondering what responsibility I have as a leader to help others that didn’t have the same head start that I did. How do we create opportunities, provide resources and inspiration to those that start with the deck stacked against them?

I don’t have a lot of answers yet, but recently I was honored to join the third Co-hort of the Colorado Inclusive Economy: A movement that is striving to make Colorado the most inclusive economy in the nation. So far, I’m inspired to think bigger about the impact we at Footers can have on our community as a whole. The impact we can have on the next generation of people to come into the hospitality industry and to take our great culture at Footers and make it even better.

I hope today’s message gives you pause and a moment to reflect on your journey. The challenges you’ve overcome or the good fortune that has come your way. Maybe you got a head start, maybe you were behind from go. Either way I hope you take what you’ve learned and think about how you can help others on their journey.