When I was six years old, I received my gifts. My first grade teacher had this brilliant idea. She wanted us to experience receiving gifts but also learning the virtue of complimenting each other. So she had all of us come to the front of the classroom, and she bought all of us gifts and stacked them in the corner. And she said, "Why don't we just stand here and compliment each other? If you hear your name called, go and pick up your gift and sit down." What a wonderful idea, right? What could go wrong?
Saat saya berusia enam tahun, saya mendapatkan hadiah. Guru saya saat kelas satu SD punya ide brilian Dia ingin kami merasakan menerima hadiah sekaligus belajar untuk saling memuji satu sama lain. Jadi dia memanggil kami semua ke depan kelas, dan dia membelikan kami hadiah dan menumpuknya di sudut kelas. lalu dia berkata, “Nanti kalian ke depan dan saling memuji ya? Kalau mendengar nama kalian disebut, ambil hadiahnya, lalu duduk kembali.” Ide yang bagus, bukan? Hal salah apa yang mungkin terjadi?
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
Well, there were 40 of us to start with, and every time I heard someone's name called, I would give out the heartiest cheer. And then there were 20 people left, and 10 people left, and five left ... and three left. And I was one of them. And the compliments stopped. Well, at that moment, I was crying. And the teacher was freaking out. She was like, "Hey, would anyone say anything nice about these people?"
Kami saat itu ada 40 orang, dan setiap saya mendengar nama teman saya dipanggil, Saya akan memberinya semangat yang paling tulus. Sampai hanya 20 orang yang tersisa, lalu 10 orang, lalu lima, lalu tiga. Dan saya salah satu dari mereka. Dan pujianpun berhenti. Tentu saja saya menangis saat itu. Dan guru kami panik. Dia berkata; “Ayo, siapa yang mau memuji teman-teman kalian ini?”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
"No one? OK, why don't you go get your gift and sit down. So behave next year -- someone might say something nice about you."
“Tidak ada? Oke, ambil saja hadiah kalian, lalu duduk kembali. Tapi tahun depan berperilaku baik ya-- supaya kalian bisa dipuji.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
Well, as I'm describing this you, you probably know I remember this really well.
Seperti yang saya ceritakan, kalian bisa tahu, saya tidak bisa melupakannya.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But I don't know who felt worse that day. Was it me or the teacher? She must have realized that she turned a team-building event into a public roast for three six-year-olds. And without the humor. You know, when you see people get roasted on TV, it was funny. There was nothing funny about that day.
Tapi saya tidak tahu siapa yang merasa lebih buruk hari itu. Apa itu saya, atau guru saya? Dia mungkin sadar, sudah mengubah acara kekompakan menjadi ledekan publik untuk anak umur enam tahun. Dan tidak ada lucunya. Tahukan, kalau kita melihat orang diledek di TV, itu lucu. Tapi hari itu tidak lucu sama sekali.
So that was one version of me, and I would die to avoid being in that situation again -- to get rejected in public again. That's one version. Then fast-forward eight years. Bill Gates came to my hometown -- Beijing, China -- to speak, and I saw his message. I fell in love with that guy. I thought, wow, I know what I want to do now. That night I wrote a letter to my family telling them: "By age 25, I will build the biggest company in the world, and that company will buy Microsoft."
Jadi itulah satu versi dari diri saya, dan saya lebih baik mati daripada berada di situasi itu lagi -- ditolak didepan umum lagi. Itu satu versi. Kita maju delapan tahun kemudian. Biil Gates datang ke kampung halaman saya -- Beijing, Cina -- untuk berbicara, dan saya memahami pesannya. Saya terpesona pada pria itu. Saya pikir, wow, sekarang saya tahu ingin melakukan apa. Malam itu, saya menulis surat pada keluarga saya yang isinya: “Saat berumur 25, saya akan membangun perusahaan terbesar di sunia, dan perusahaan itu akan membeli Microsoft.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I totally embraced this idea of conquering the world -- domination, right? And I didn't make this up, I did write that letter. And here it is --
Saya benar-benar memiliki ide untuk menaklukan -- kekuasaan dunia. Dan saya tidak mengarang ini, saya memang menulis surat itu. Dan inilah dia.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
You don't have to read this through --
Kalian tidak usah membacanya --
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
This is also bad handwriting, but I did highlight some key words. You get the idea.
Tulisannya juga jelek, tapi saya menandai beberapa kata kunci. Kalian bisa lihat intinya.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
So ... that was another version of me: one who will conquer the world.
Jadi ... itulah versi lain diri saya: seseorang yang akan menguasai dunia.
Well, then two years later, I was presented with the opportunity to come to the United States. I jumped on it, because that was where Bill Gates lived, right?
Lalu, dua tahun kemudian, Saya berkesempatan untuk datang ke Amerika. Saya langsung mengambilnya, karena Bill Gates tinggal di sana, kan?
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I thought that was the start of my entrepreneur journey. Then, fast-forward another 14 years. I was 30. Nope, I didn't build that company. I didn't even start. I was actually a marketing manager for a Fortune 500 company. And I felt I was stuck; I was stagnant. Why is that? Where is that 14-year-old who wrote that letter? It's not because he didn't try. It's because every time I had a new idea, every time I wanted to try something new, even at work -- I wanted to make a proposal, I wanted to speak up in front of people in a group -- I felt there was this constant battle between the 14-year-old and the six-year-old. One wanted to conquer the world -- make a difference -- another was afraid of rejection. And every time that six-year-old won.
Saya pikir itulah awal perjalanan saya sebagai pengusaha. Lalu, maju ke 14 tahun kemudian. Saya berumur 30. Tidak, saya tidak membangun perusahaan itu. Saya bahkan tidak memulainya. Saya malah jadi manejer pemasaran di perusahaan Fortune 500. Dan saya merasa buntu. Saya tidak bergerak ke mana-mana. Mengapa begitu? Ke mana anak 14 tahun yang menulis surat itu? Itu bukan karena saya tidak mencoba. Itu karena setiap saya punya ide, setiap saya ingin mencoba sesuatu yang baru bahkan di tempat kerja -- saya ingin membuat proposal, saya ingin berbicara di depan orang -- saya terus merasakan ada pertarungan batin antara saya yang berumur 14 tahun dan yang berumur enam tahun. Yang ingin menguasai dunia -- melakukan perubahan -- dan yang takut pada penolakan. Dan yang berumur enam tahun selalu menang.
And this fear even persisted after I started my own company. I mean, I started my own company when I was 30 -- if you want to be Bill Gates, you've got to start sooner or later, right? When I was an entrepreneur, I was presented with an investment opportunity, and then I was turned down. And that rejection hurt me. It hurt me so bad that I wanted to quit right there. But then I thought, hey, would Bill Gates quit after a simple investment rejection? Would any successful entrepreneur quit like that? No way. And this is where it clicked for me. OK, I can build a better company. I can build a better team or better product, but one thing for sure: I've got to be a better leader. I've got to be a better person. I cannot let that six-year-old keep dictating my life anymore. I have to put him back in his place.
Dan ketakutan ini bahkan terus ada setelah saya memulai perusahaan sendiri. Iya sih, saya memulai perusahaan saya saat saya 30 tahun -- kalau Anda ingin jadi Bill Gates, Anda harus memulainya cepat atau lambat, kan? Saat saya seorang pengusaha, Saya mempunyai kesempatan untuk mendapatkan investasi, tapi saya ditolak. Dan penolakan itu menyakiti saya. Saya sangat terluka sampai saya ingin berhenti saat itu juga. Tapi saya lalu berpikir, memangnya Bill Gates akan berhenti setelah satu penolakan investasi? Apa pengusaha sukses akan berhenti seperti itu? Tidak. Dan saat itulah jelas bagi saya. Oke, saya bisa membuat perusahaan yang lebih baik, tim yang lebih baik, atau produk yang lebih baik, tapi satu lah yang pasti: saya harus jadi pemimpin yang lebih baik. jadi orang yang lebih baik. Saya tidak bisa membiarkan anak enam tahun itu mendikte saya lagi. Saya harus menempatkannya kembali ke posisinya.
So this is where I went online and looked for help. Google was my friend.
Jadi saat itulah saya online dan mencari bantuan. Google itu teman saya.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I searched, "How do I overcome the fear of rejection?" I came up with a bunch of psychology articles about where the fear and pain are coming from. Then I came up with a bunch of "rah-rah" inspirational articles about "Don't take it personally, just overcome it." Who doesn't know that?
Saya cari, “Bagaimana cara mengatasi ketakutan pada penolakan?” Saya menemukan sekumpulan artikel psikologi tentang darimana asal ketakutan dan rasa sakit. Lalu saya menemukan sekumpulan artikel inspirasi judulnya “Jangan diambil hati, hadapi saja.” Kalau itu, siapa yang tidak tahu?
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But why was I still so scared? Then I found this website by luck. It's called rejectiontherapy.com.
Tapi kenapa saya masih takut? Lalu saya tidak sengaja menemukan sebuah situs. Namanya rejectiontherapy.com.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
"Rejection Therapy" was this game invented by this Canadian entrepreneur. His name is Jason Comely. And basically the idea is for 30 days you go out and look for rejection, and every day get rejected at something, and then by the end, you desensitize yourself from the pain. And I loved that idea.
“Rejection Therapy adalah permainan yang dibuat oleh seorang pengusaha Kanada. Namanya Jason Comely. Idenya adalah selama 30 hari, Anda harus keluar dan mencari penolakan, dan setiap hari Anda harus ditolak pada satu hal, dan pada akhirnya, Anda akan kebal terhadap penolakan. Dan saya suka ide tersebut.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I said, "You know what? I'm going to do this. And I'll feel myself getting rejected 100 days." And I came up with my own rejection ideas, and I made a video blog out of it.
Saya pikir, “Saya akan melakukan ini. Dan merasakan diri saya ditolak 100 hari.” Lalu saya mencari sendiri ide-ide penolakan, dan membuat vidio jurnal penolakan tersebut.
And so here's what I did. This is what the blog looked like. Day One ...
Jadi, itulah yang saya lakukan. Seperti inilah vlog tersebut. Hari Pertama ...
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
Borrow 100 dollars from a stranger. So this is where I went to where I was working. I came downstairs and I saw this big guy sitting behind a desk. He looked like a security guard. So I just approached him. And I was just walking and that was the longest walk of my life -- hair on the back of my neck standing up, I was sweating and my heart was pounding. And I got there and said, "Hey, sir, can I borrow 100 dollars from you?"
Meminjam 100 dollar dari orang asing. Jadi, itulah yang saya coba di tempat saya bekerja. Saya turun dan melihat pria bertubuh besar ini di belakang meja. Sepertinya dia penjaga keamanan. Jadi, saya mendekatinya. Saya berjalan dan itu rasanya perjalanan terlama dalam hidup saya -- bulu kuduk saya berdiri, Saya berkeringat dan jantung saya berdebar. Saya lalu menghampirinya dan bertanya, “Pak, bisakah Anda meminjamkan saya 100 dollar?”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
And he looked up, he's like, "No." "Why?"
Dia menatap saya, dan berkata, “Tidak.” “Untuk apa?”
And I just said, "No? I'm sorry." Then I turned around, and I just ran.
Saya hanya berkata, “Tidak bisa ya? Maaf kalau begitu.” Lalu aku berbalik dan lari.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I felt so embarrassed. But because I filmed myself -- so that night I was watching myself getting rejected, I just saw how scared I was. I looked like this kid in "The Sixth Sense." I saw dead people.
Saya merasa sangat malu. Tapi karena saya merekamnya -- malam itu, saya menonton kembali bagaimana saya ditolak. saya jadi tahu betapa takutnya saya. Saya seperti anak kecil di film “The Sixth Sense.” Saya seperti melihat hantu.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But then I saw this guy. You know, he wasn't that menacing. He was a chubby, loveable guy, and he even asked me, "Why?" In fact, he invited me to explain myself. And I could've said many things. I could've explained, I could've negotiated. I didn't do any of that. All I did was run. I felt, wow, this is like a microcosm of my life. Every time I felt the slightest rejection, I would just run as fast as I could. And you know what? The next day, no matter what happens, I'm not going to run. I'll stay engaged.
Lalu saya bertemu pria tadi. Tampangnya tidak terlalu mengancam. Dia pria besar yang menyenangkan, dia bahkan bertanya pada saya, “Untuk apa?” Bahkan dia meminta saya untuk menjelaskan. Dan saya bisa saja mengatakan apapun. Saya bisa saja menjelaskan, bernegosiasi. Saya tidak melakukan apapun. Yang saya lakukan hanya lari. Saya pikir, wah, inilah gambaran kecil hidup saya. Setiap kali saya mengalami penolakan sekecil apapun, Saya hanya lari secepat mungkin. Dan tahukah Anda? Hari berikutnya, apapun yang terjadi, Saya tidak akan lari. Saya akan bertahan.
Day Two: Request a "burger refill."
Hari Kedua: Meminta “isi ulang burger.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
It's when I went to a burger joint, I finished lunch, and I went to the cashier and said, "Hi, can I get a burger refill?"
Itu saat saya pergi ke restoran burger, Setelah menghabiskan makanan, saya ke kasir dan bertanya, “Hai, bisakah saya minta isi ulang burger?”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
He was all confused, like, "What's a burger refill?"
Dia kebigungan, “Apa maksudmu isi ulang burger?”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I said, "Well, it's just like a drink refill but with a burger." And he said, "Sorry, we don't do burger refill, man."
Saya berkata, “Seperti isi ulang minuman gratis, tapi burger.” Dia berkata, “Maaf, tidak ada isi ulang burger, Pak.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
So this is where rejection happened and I could have run, but I stayed. I said, "Well, I love your burgers, I love your joint, and if you guys do a burger refill, I will love you guys more."
Jadi begitulah penolakan terjadi, tapi kali ini saya tidak lari. Saya berkata, “Saya suka burger di sini, Kalian merek burger favorit saya, dan jika kalian menyediakan isi ulang burger, saya akan lebih menyukai kalian.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
And he said, "Well, OK, I'll tell my manager about it, and maybe we'll do it, but sorry, we can't do this today." Then I left. And by the way, I don't think they've ever done burger refill.
Dia berkata, “Oke, nanti saya sampaikan pada manejer, dan mungkin kami akan menyediakannya, tapi maaf, tidak untuk hari ini.” Lalu, saya pergi. Ngomong-ngomong, saya rasa, mereka tidak akan pernah menyediakan isi ulang burger.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
I think they're still there. But the life and death feeling I was feeling the first time was no longer there, just because I stayed engaged -- because I didn't run. I said, "Wow, great, I'm already learning things. Great."
Saya rasa takut itu masih ada. Tapi perasaan antara hidup dan mati yang saya rasakan saat pertama tidak ada lagi, karena saya berusaha bertahan -- karena saya tidak lari. Saya berujar, “Wah, hebat, saya belajar hal baru. Hebat.”
And then Day Three: Getting Olympic Doughnuts. This is where my life was turned upside down. I went to a Krispy Kreme. It's a doughnut shop in mainly the Southeastern part of the United States. I'm sure they have some here, too. And I went in, I said, "Can you make me doughnuts that look like Olympic symbols? Basically, you interlink five doughnuts together ... " I mean there's no way they could say yes, right? The doughnut maker took me so seriously.
Lalu Hari Ketiga: Memesan Donat Olimpiade. Inilah saat hidup saya berubah. Saya pergi ke Krispy Kreme, toko donat yang tersebar di sebagian besar tenggara Amerika. Saya yakin di sini juga ada. Saya masuk dan bertanya, “Bisakah saya memesan donat yang bentuknya seperti simbol olimpiade?” Intinya, Anda harus menyambungkan lima buah donat...” Tidak mungkin mereka akan mengiyakan, kan? Tapi tukang donat di sana menanggapi saya dengan serius.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
So she put out paper, started jotting down the colors and the rings, and is like, "How can I make this?" And then 15 minutes later, she came out with a box that looked like Olympic rings. And I was so touched. I just couldn't believe it. And that video got over five million views on Youtube. The world couldn't believe that either.
Dia mengambil selembar kertas, dan menggambar warna dan lingkaran, dan berujar, “Bagaimana ya membuat ini?” Dan 15 menit kemudian, Dia keluar dengan sekotak donat yang terlihat seperti cincin olimpiade. Saya sangat terharu. Saya benar-benar tidak percaya. Dan vidio itu mendapatkan lebih dari lima juta penonton di Youtube. Dunia juga tidak bisa percaya sepertinya.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
You know, because of that I was in newspapers, in talk shows, in everything. And I became famous. A lot of people started writing emails to me and saying, "What you're doing is awesome." But you know, fame and notoriety did not do anything to me. What I really wanted to do was learn, and to change myself. So I turned the rest of my 100 days of rejection into this playground -- into this research project. I wanted to see what I could learn.
Tahukah Anda, karena itu saya masuk koran, acara bincang-bincang, dan sebagainya. Dan saya jadi terkenal. Banyak orang mengirimi saya surel dan berkata, “Yang Anda lakukan itu luar biasa!” Tapi popularitas tidak berpengaruh bagi saya. Yang ingin saya lakukan adalah belajar dan mengubah diri saya. Jadi saya menjadikan sisa dari 100 hari penolakan itu sebagai ruang bereksperimen sebagai proyek riset Saya ingin melihat apa yang bisa saya pelajari.
And then I learned a lot of things. I discovered so many secrets. For example, I found if I just don't run, if I got rejected, I could actually turn a "no" into a "yes," and the magic word is, "why."
Dan saya belajar banyak hal. Saya memecahkan banyak rahasia. Misalnya, saya menemukan kalau saya tidak lari saat saya ditolak, saya sebenarnya bisa mengubah “tidak” menjadi “ya,” dan kata kuncinya adalah “mengapa.”
So one day I went to a stranger's house, I had this flower in my hand, knocked on the door and said, "Hey, can I plant this flower in your backyard?"
Saya pernah pergi ke rumah orang asing, dengan bunga di tangan saya, mengetuk pintunya, dan bertanya, “Hai, bisakah saya menanam bunga ini di halaman belakangmu?”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
And he said, "No." But before he could leave I said, "Hey, can I know why?" And he said, "Well, I have this dog that would dig up anything I put in the backyard. I don't want to waste your flower. If you want to do this, go across the street and talk to Connie. She loves flowers." So that's what I did. I went across and knocked on Connie's door. And she was so happy to see me.
Dia langsung menjawab.“Tidak.” Tapi sebelum dia masuk, saya bertanya, “Bolehkan saya tahu mengapa?” Dan dia berkata, “Saya punya anjing yang menggali apapun yang ada di halaman belakang. Saya tidak ingin menyia-nyiakan tanamanmu. Kalau Anda mau, cobalah pergi ke seberang dan tanya Connie. Dia penyuka bunga.” Dan itulah yang saya lakukan. Saya pergi ke seberang dan mengetuk pintu rumah Connie. Dan dia menyukai ide saya.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
And then half an hour later, there was this flower in Connie's backyard. I'm sure it looks better now.
Lalu setengah jam kemudian, ada bunga ini di halaman belakang Connie. Saya yakin sekarang pasti bagus.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But had I left after the initial rejection, I would've thought, well, it's because the guy didn't trust me, it's because I was crazy, because I didn't dress up well, I didn't look good. It was none of those. It was because what I offered did not fit what he wanted. And he trusted me enough to offer me a referral, using a sales term. I converted a referral.
Bayangkan jika saya pergi setelah penolakan pertama, saya akan berpikir, itu mungkin karena pria itu tidak memercayai saya, karena saya gila, karena tidak berpakaian bagus, tidak terlihat baik. Ternyata bukan itu. Tapi karena yang saya tawarkan tidak sesuai dengan yang dia inginkan. Dan dia cukup percaya saya untuk menawarkan pengganti, memakai istilah bisnis. saya mendapatkan ‘referral.’
Then one day -- and I also learned that I can actually say certain things and maximize my chance to get a yes. So for example, one day I went to a Starbucks, and asked the manager, "Hey, can I be a Starbucks greeter?" He was like, "What's a Starbucks greeter?" I said, "Do you know those Walmart greeters? You know, those people who say 'hi' to you before you walk in the store, and make sure you don't steal stuff, basically? I want to give a Walmart experience to Starbucks customers."
Lalu suatu hari -- saya juga belajar kalau saya bisa mengatakan hal tertentu dan memungkinkan saya mendapat jawaban ya. Contohnya, suatu hari saya ke Starbucks, dan bertanya pada manejernya, “Bisakah saya menjadi penyambut di Starbucks?” Dia berkata, “Apa maksudmu penyambut Starbucks?” Saya jawab, “Seperti penyambut pelanggan di Walmart? Orang yang menyapamu saat kau masuk ke toko, dan memastikanmu tidak mengutil? Saya ingin pelanggan Starbucks merasakan pengalaman itu.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
Well, I'm not sure that's a good thing, actually -- Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a bad thing. And he was like, "Oh" -- yeah, this is how he looked, his name is Eric -- and he was like, "I'm not sure." This is how he was hearing me. "Not sure." Then I ask him, "Is that weird?" He's like, "Yeah, it's really weird, man." But as soon as he said that, his whole demeanor changed. It's as if he's putting all the doubt on the floor. And he said, "Yeah, you can do this, just don't get too weird."
Saya tidak yakin itu ide bagus -- Sejujurnya, saya pikir itu ide yang buruk. Dan dia berkata, “Oh” -- ya, itu dia, namanya Eric -- dia menjawab, “Saya tidak yakin.” Begitulah dia merespon saya. “Tidak yakin.” Lalu, saya bertanya, “Apa itu aneh?” Dia menjawab, “Ya, itu sangat aneh, Pak.” tapi begitu dia mengatakannya, sikapnya berubah. Seolah dia membuang semua keraguannya.. Dia lalu berkata, “Ya, lakukan saja, tapi jangan terlalu aneh.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
So for the next hour I was the Starbucks greeter. I said "hi" to every customer that walked in, and gave them holiday cheers. By the way, I don't know what your career trajectory is, don't be a greeter.
Jadi selama satu jam, saya menjadi penyambut di Starbucks. Saya menyapa setiap pelanggan yang masuk, dan memberi mereka ucapan selamat liburan. Ngomong-ngomong, saya tidak tahu apa jalur karir Anda, tapi jangan jadi penyambut.
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
It was really boring. But then I found I could do this because I mentioned, "Is that weird?" I mentioned the doubt that he was having. And because I mentioned, "Is that weird?", that means I wasn't weird. That means I was actually thinking just like him, seeing this as a weird thing. And again, and again, I learned that if I mention some doubt people might have before I ask the question, I gained their trust. People were more likely to say yes to me.
Itu benar-benar membosankan. Tapi saya jadi tahu saya bisa melakukannya karena bertanya, “Apa itu aneh?” Saya melontarkan keraguan yang dia rasakan. Karena saya menyebutkan “Apa itu aneh?” bukan berarti saya tidak aneh. Artinya saya berpikir sama dengan dia bahwa ini adalah hal yang aneh. Lagi dan lagi, Saya belajar kalau saya menyebutkan keraguan seseorang sebelum saya meminta sesuatu, saya akan mendapatkan kepercayaan mereka. Dan orang akan cenderung mengiyakan permintaan saya.
And then I learned I could fulfill my life dream ... by asking. You know, I came from four generations of teachers, and my grandma has always told me, "Hey Jia, you can do anything you want, but it'd be great if you became a teacher."
Saya juga belajar saya bisa mencapai mimpi saya ... dengan bertanya. Tahukah Anda, keluarga saya adalah guru selama empat generasi dan nenek saya selalu berkata, “Jia, kau boleh menjadi apapun, tapi akan lebih baik kalau kau menjadi guru.”
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But I wanted to be an entrepreneur, so I didn't. But it has always been my dream to actually teach something. So I said, "What if I just ask and teach a college class?" I lived in Austin at the time, so I went to University of Texas at Austin and knocked on professors' doors and said, "Can I teach your class?" I didn't get anywhere the first couple of times. But because I didn't run -- I kept doing it -- and on the third try the professor was very impressed. He was like, "No one has done this before." And I came in prepared with powerpoints and my lesson. He said, "Wow, I can use this. Why don't you come back in two months? I'll fit you in my curriculum." And two months later I was teaching a class.
Tapi saya ingin jadi pengusaha, jadi saya mengabaikannya. Tapi saya selalu punya mimpi untuk mengajarkan sesuatu. Jadi saya pikir, “Kenapa saya tidak minta untuk mengajar di kelas universitas?” Saat itu saya tinggal di Austin, jadi saya pergi ke Universitas Texas di Austin dan mendatangi profesor di sana, “Bisakah saya mengajar di kelas Anda?” Saya tidak berhasil mulanya. Tapi karena saya tidak menyerah. -- saya terus bertanya -- Setelah tiga kali mencoba, seorang profesor terkesan. Dia berkata, ” Tidak ada yang melakukan ini sebelumnya.” Dan saya datang dengan powerpoint dan materi. Dia berkata, “Wah, saya bisa menggunakan ini.” Kembalilah dua bulan lagi. Nanti saya masukkan ke kurikulum saya. Dan dua bulan kemudian, Saya mengajar di kelas.
This is me -- you probably can't see, this is a bad picture. You know, sometimes you get rejected by lighting, you know?
Ini saya -- Anda mungkin tidak bisa lihat, fotonya jelek. Tahukan, kadang Anda juga ditolak oleh pencahayaan?
(Laughter)
(Tertawa)
But wow -- when I finished teaching that class, I walked out crying, because I thought I could fulfill my life dream just by simply asking. I used to think I have to accomplish all these things -- have to be a great entrepreneur, or get a PhD to teach -- but no, I just asked, and I could teach.
Tapi wah -- Ketika saya selesai mengajar saat itu, saya keluar dengan menangis, karena saya pikir saya bisa mencapai mimpi saya hanya dengan bertanya. Saya dulu berpikir saya harus mencapai banyak hal -- harus jadi pengusaha hebat, harus bergelar PhD untuk mengajar tapi tidak, saya hanya bertanya dan sayapun bisa mengajar.
And in that picture, which you can't see, I quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. Why? Because in my research I found that people who really change the world, who change the way we live and the way we think, are the people who were met with initial and often violent rejections. People like Martin Luther King, Jr., like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or even Jesus Christ. These people did not let rejection define them. They let their own reaction after rejection define themselves. And they embraced rejection.
Di foto yang tidak bisa Anda lihat tadi, saya mengutip Martin Luther King, Jr. Karena dari riset, saya jadi tahu bahwa orang yang mengubah dunia, yang mengubah cara kita hidup, dan cara kita berpikir, adalah orang-orang yang mengalami penolakan sejak awal dan seringnya keras. Orang seperti Martin Luther King, Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela bahkan Yesus Kristus. Orang-orang ini tidak membiarkan penolakan membentuk mereka. Mereka membiarkan reaksi setelah ditolak membentuk diri mereka. Dan mereka merangkul penolakan.
And we don't have to be those people to learn about rejection, and in my case, rejection was my curse, was my boogeyman. It has bothered me my whole life because I was running away from it. Then I started embracing it. I turned that into the biggest gift in my life. I started teaching people how to turn rejections into opportunities. I use my blog, I use my talk, I use the book I just published, and I'm even building technology to help people overcome their fear of rejection.
Kita tidak harus menjadi mereka untuk belajar soal penolakan, dalam kasus saya, penolakan adalah kutukan saya, monster bagi saya yang mengejar saya seumur hidup, karena saya lari darinya. Tapi lalu saya merangkulnya. Saya mengubahnya menjadi berkah dalam hidup saya. Saya mulai mengajarkan orang-orang bagaimana mengubah penolakan jadi peluang. Saya menggunakan blog saya, kuliah saya, buku yang baru saya terbitkan, saya bahkan mengembangkan teknologi untuk mengatasi rasa takut pada penolakan
When you get rejected in life, when you are facing the next obstacle or next failure, consider the possibilities. Don't run. If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.
Saat Anda ditolak dalam hidup, Saat Anda menghadapi tantangan, atau kegagalan lain, coba pikirkan kemungkinan yang ada, Jangan lari. Jika Anda merangkulnya, mungkin itu juga bisa menjadi berkah bagi Anda.
Thank you.
Terima kasih.
(Applause)
(Tepuk tangan)