Friday, December 02, 2005
Is Bill Gates a Computer Guy or a Billionaire
I was walking out of the high school library after meeting with a group of ninth graders. The last one, Trevor is a self-described computer genius who stays up nights working on new programs.
After our seminar a group of students asked if they could stay in the library and the media specialist agreed. Trevor was one of those students.
Jokingly, I told the specialist to watch out for the library's computers, because Trevor would reprogram all of them before she knew what happened.
"Watch out," I said. "He's a regular Bill Gates."
If he's Bill Gates, then I want to meet him, she responded. I think she was referring to the fact that Bill Gates is the richest person in the world.
But when I made my Bill Gates joke about Trevor, it hadn't occurred to me that Bill is rich. It occurred to me that he's a computer genius. Of course he's loaded with money, but the reasons for that are...
1. He's a computer genius.
2. He's a business genius.
3. He continually studied, learned, made mistakes, and learned some more.
4. He's a networking genius. He surrounded himself with the right people who made his ideas better and helped him launch his projects into the marketplace.
5. He had the desire and courage to do things most people are afraid to do.
6. He was in the right place at the right time.
Trevor may become a billionaire one day also. If he does, I certainly hopes he remembers his guidance buddy from when he was a high school freshman.
But right now Trevor loves computers. He works on them constantly because he enjoys it, not because he wants to make money. I don't think he identifies himself as a future billionaire. If he does, he may change a few things about how he operates. He may start his own high school computer tutoring or consulting business. He may hire other computer guys and girls to work with him.
That's the point I started with. How do you see yourself? Bill Gates became Bill Gates because worked harder and smarter than anyone else in his field.
But he was willing to work, learn, fail and start over so many times because he had PASSION. He loved what he did. And he still seems to love what he does.
Do you have a passion for something? Are you working it like you love it? You can get rich doing it, no matter what it is. It just takes some new ways at looking at things and the courage to take a chance.
But you have to love it first.
Have a Great Weekend,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
P.S. How do we get the courage to see ourselves differently and better? How do we start to believe in ourselves? Find out how five young adults did just that on a Saturday morning! Pick up How To Juggle (and Change Your Life Forever) by Larry Hochman at http://www.lulu.com/content/78572
After our seminar a group of students asked if they could stay in the library and the media specialist agreed. Trevor was one of those students.
Jokingly, I told the specialist to watch out for the library's computers, because Trevor would reprogram all of them before she knew what happened.
"Watch out," I said. "He's a regular Bill Gates."
If he's Bill Gates, then I want to meet him, she responded. I think she was referring to the fact that Bill Gates is the richest person in the world.
But when I made my Bill Gates joke about Trevor, it hadn't occurred to me that Bill is rich. It occurred to me that he's a computer genius. Of course he's loaded with money, but the reasons for that are...
1. He's a computer genius.
2. He's a business genius.
3. He continually studied, learned, made mistakes, and learned some more.
4. He's a networking genius. He surrounded himself with the right people who made his ideas better and helped him launch his projects into the marketplace.
5. He had the desire and courage to do things most people are afraid to do.
6. He was in the right place at the right time.
Trevor may become a billionaire one day also. If he does, I certainly hopes he remembers his guidance buddy from when he was a high school freshman.
But right now Trevor loves computers. He works on them constantly because he enjoys it, not because he wants to make money. I don't think he identifies himself as a future billionaire. If he does, he may change a few things about how he operates. He may start his own high school computer tutoring or consulting business. He may hire other computer guys and girls to work with him.
That's the point I started with. How do you see yourself? Bill Gates became Bill Gates because worked harder and smarter than anyone else in his field.
But he was willing to work, learn, fail and start over so many times because he had PASSION. He loved what he did. And he still seems to love what he does.
Do you have a passion for something? Are you working it like you love it? You can get rich doing it, no matter what it is. It just takes some new ways at looking at things and the courage to take a chance.
But you have to love it first.
Have a Great Weekend,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
P.S. How do we get the courage to see ourselves differently and better? How do we start to believe in ourselves? Find out how five young adults did just that on a Saturday morning! Pick up How To Juggle (and Change Your Life Forever) by Larry Hochman at http://www.lulu.com/content/78572
