By interviewing our friends about their life goals and their past, me and my fellow classmates created stories about our partners.
Not In The Stars, But in Ourselves
“Life is an interesting journey; it has ups and downs, twists and turns… But every journey has a beginning and an ending. It is called destiny, and you can’t change it.” That’s what Daniel’s Dad told him. “I never agreed with him. Yes, indeed life has peaks and valleys, or non-desired turns… However, even a kid learns how to walk by falling down,” said Daniel. Daniel is from a well-known city in Missouri called Kansas City. Throughout his high school years he was interested in capturing the moment and producing digital art. On the other hand, because of his dad and brother’s intention on business and management he was also slightly intrigued with money and learned how to boss others around. But he had to make his life changing decision in his senior year.
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say, thank you?” Neither fame, money, nor appreciation makes us happy sometimes. Why not? why won’t you appreciate what you have and have a joyful life?
(Ivy League – Chase Bank – Staying in Chase Bank – Being a Mediocre Banker.)
Since his dad was into the management sector, Daniel was in touch with money since he was a kid. After he decided to attend an Ivy League school in New York City, his life started getting in shape. He chose Economics as his major at Columbia University, and because of the good salary outcome he wanted to start his career in the biggest bank chain of NYC: Chase Bank. He was the youngest but also the most gifted kid in his branch. After five years he got promoted to work at the headquarters with top professionals. As he said, “I have passion for business and I could see myself doing it for my whole life, definitely, but I don’t know if I could.” Daniel was not sure about his future at that time. However, promotions and the year-by-year increasing salary kept him inside the sector. He was living his life attached to the company that he had been working for for many years and he never let anyone down.
Reluctantly, after more than 25 years of banking he retired from his job. He never regretted a single second he spent in his cubicle. He earned good money. Nevertheless, he lived and will be living the mediocre life of a hackneyed banker.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope”2
No human can live without dreaming and believing. Are you strong enough to chase your dreams? Do you have the power to believe in yourself?
(Parsons, Vogue, World Renowned Freelance Photographer)
Daniel always believed that he would be a world renowned freelance photographer. “If you believe in yourself, if someone tells me something that I can’t do, it makes me want to more,” he said. His interest in photography began when he was just 13. He started taking photographs with his mom’s camera. “Freezing the moment was a whole different universe for me.”After he got accepted and applied to Parsons The New School for Design, he chose photography as his major and designed himself a designated path with a bunch of goals to accomplish. He had some hard times during his years in college but he never gave up. He never fell off from his path. Daniel was young and passionate. He was fervent and ardent. His soul was living, and his heart was beating just for his dreams. The day he earned an internship opportunity for Vogue magazine was the day he named “life-shifter.” He was shining like a precious stone during his internship days, and his boss asked him to work for the magazine full time. That was the invitation for him to doors of the world.
Proudly, he made it through his path, reached the destination and grabbed the glamorous hand of the world. He became a well-known photographer around the globe. He took photographs for top-ten listed magazines and models. After all, he was gratified and pleased about his past.
“To be or not to be, that is the question.”1
What would you do if you had the chance of being a legend? Would you take the shot or ruin everything? As long as you know the gun is loaded there is something to be scared of.
(Ivy League- Wall Street- Cocaine – Rehab – Back to the Business)
“Probably the people around me inspire me most. I see what they have accomplished and created and I want to do that too. No matter what field I go into,” Daniel said. He underlined that he lived 17 years in a house with two business-minded human beings. In his senior year his dream came true. He was going to do a double major at Columbia University in economics and business. He was heading straight ahead. He wore his horse glasses and was never disturbed by anyone else around him. His goal was to be a broker in Wall Street. He graduated college with a respected GPA and was on the honorable students list. “Not gonna lie, the movie The Wolf of Wall Street really pumped me up,” he said. It was like a foreshadowing for his life.
His extremely inconceivable desire of being on Wall Street freaked him out at some point. After his second year in his destined field, he started using “white gold,” which is a connotation for “cocaine.” Even he was aware that something was going wrong. He decided to get professional help. Daniel stayed in rehab for a while, but he never lost his passion. He was still feeling the dollar signs running inside his veins.
Peaks or valleys? Twists or turns? At that point Daniel appreciated what his father told him years ago. His dad also taught him what to do if his back was up against the wall. “Find a way to break the goddamn wall.” He came back to business with full throttle and became the new wolf in the woods.
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”3
“So son,” he said.
“Yes dad,” I said.
“Never give up. Okay?”
“Okay.”
1 William Shakespeare. BrainyQuote.com, Xplore Inc, 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamsha101458.html, accessed November 7, 2014.
2 Martin Luther King, Jr.. BrainyQuote.com, Xplore Inc, 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth297522.html, accessed November 7, 2014.
3 William Shakespeare. BrainyQuote.com, Xplore Inc, 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamsha133742.html, accessed November 7, 2014.