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?
Kad man bija seši gadi, es saņēmu dāvanas. Manai pirmās klases skolotājai bija lieliska ideja. Viņa vēlējās, lai piedzīvojam dāvanu saņemšanu, kā arī lai iemācāmies paslavēt citus. Tā nu mums visiem bija jāiet klases priekšā, viņa bija nopirkusi visiem dāvanas, salikusi tās kaudzē stūrī. Un viņa teica: "Mēs varētu stāvēt šeit un viens otru paslavēt. Ja dzirdat savu vārdu, ejiet izvēlēties dāvanu un apsēdieties savā vietā." Lieliska ideja, vai ne? Kas gan varētu noiet greizi?
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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?"
Sākumā mēs bijām 40, un katru reizi, kad izdzirdēju kāda vārdu, es to pavadīju ar priecīgu izsaucienu. Tad palika 20 cilvēku, tad 10 cilvēku, un tad pieci... un tad trīs. Es biju viens no viņiem. Tad uzslavas beidzās. Tajā brīdī es jau raudāju. Un skolotāja bija apjukusi. Viņa sacīja: "Nu, kurš pateiks ko jauku par šiem cilvēkiem?"
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
"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."
"Neviens? Labi, ņemiet dāvanas un apsēdieties vietā. Nākamgad uzvedieties labāk, varbūt kādam būs kas jauks sakāms par jums."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
Well, as I'm describing this you, you probably know I remember this really well.
Tā kā es stāstu par to jums, jūs droši vien nojaušat, ka ļoti labi to atceros.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Nezinu, kas todien jutās sliktāk. Es vai skolotāja? Viņa droši vien saprata, ka pārvērtusi komandas saliedēšanas aktivitāti par trīs sešgadnieku publisku cepienu. Un bez jokiem. Kad televīzijā redzat citu cilvēku cepināšanu, tas ir smieklīgi. Todien nebija nekā smieklīga.
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."
Tā ir viena manis versija, un es būtu gatavs mirt, lai nekad vairs nenonāktu tādā situācijā – publiski atraidīts. Tā ir viena versija. Astoņus gadus vēlāk. Manā dzimtajā pilsētā - Pekinā, Ķīnā, - uzstāties ieradās Bils Geitss. Es redzēju viņa uzstāšanos. Es viņā iemīlējos. Domāju: "Oho, tagad zinu, ko gribu darīt." Tovakar uzrakstīju vēstuli savai ģimenei, sakot, ka "līdz 25 gadu vecumam radīšu lielāko uzņēmumu pasaulē, un šis uzņēmums nopirks <i>Microsoft</i>."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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 --
Mani pilnībā pārņēma šī pasaules iekarošanas ideja – valdīt pār pasauli. Es to neesmu izdomājis, tiešām uzrakstīju to vēstuli. Te tā ir.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
You don't have to read this through --
Jums nav viss jālasa.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
This is also bad handwriting, but I did highlight some key words. You get the idea.
Arī rokraksts ir slikts, bet es izcēlu dažus atslēgas vārdus. Jūs saprotat domu.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
So ... that was another version of me: one who will conquer the world.
Tātad... Tā ir vēl viena manis versija – tā, kas iekaros pasauli.
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?
Tad, divus gadus vēlāk, man piedāvāja iespēju braukt uz ASV. Es metos tajā, jo tur taču dzīvo Bils Geitss, vai ne?
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Domāju, ka tas būs mana uzņēmējdarbības ceļa sākums. Vēl 14 gadus vēlāk man bija 30 gadu. Nē, es neizveidoju to uzņēmumu. Es pat nesāku. Biju mārketinga vadītājs vienā no <i>Fortune 500</i> uzņēmumiem. Jutos iestrēdzis. Stagnēju. Kāpēc tā? Kur palicis čertpadsmitgadnieks, kas rakstīja to vēstuli? Tas nebija tādēļ, ka necentos. Tas bija tādēļ, ka ikreiz, kad man radās jauna ideja, ikreiz, kad gribēju pamēģināt ko jaunu, pat darbā, kad gribēju kaut ko piedāvāt, kad gribēju izteikt viedokli citu cilvēku priekšā, jutu nemitīgu cīņu starp četrpadsmitgadnieku un sešgadnieku. Viens vēlējās iekarot pasauli, mainīt to, bet otrs baidījās no atraidījuma. Un sešgadnieks vienmēr uzvarēja.
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.
Bailes saglabājās pat tad, kad izveidoju savu uzņēmumu. Savu uzņēmumu izveidoju, kad man bija 30. Ja vēlaties kļūt par Bilu Geitsu, kaut kad taču ir jāsāk, vai ne? Kā uzņēmējam man piedāvāja investīciju iespēju, un tad mani atraidīja. Un atraidījums mani aizvainoja. Tas bija tik sāpīgi, ka gribēju uzreiz visu pamest. Bet tad padomāju: "Vai Bils Geitss padotos pēc vienkārša investīciju atteikuma?" Vai kāds veiksmīgs uzņēmējs tā vienkārši padotos? Nekad. Un tad es sapratu. Labi, varu izveidot labāku uzņēmumu. Varu izveidot labāku komandu vai produktu, bet viens ir skaidrs: man jākļūst par labāku vadītāju. Man jākļūst par labāku cilvēku. Nevaru atļaut tam sešgadniekam turpināt vadīt manu dzīvi. Man viņš jānoliek pie vietas.
So this is where I went online and looked for help. Google was my friend.
Tad nu iegāju internetā meklēt palīdzību – mans draugs bija <i>Google</i>.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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?
Meklēju: "Kā pārvarēt bailes no atraidījuma?" Atradu vairākus psiholoģijas rakstus par to, no kurienes rodas bailes un sāpes. Tad atradu vairākus bla-bla-bla tipa iedvesmojošos rakstus no sērijas "neuztver to personīgi, un vienkārši tiec ar to galā". Kurš gan to nezina?
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
But why was I still so scared? Then I found this website by luck. It's called rejectiontherapy.com.
Bet kāpēc man bija tik ļoti bail? Tad laimīgā kārtā atradu kādu mājaslapu. To sauc rejectiontherapy.com.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
"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.
"Atraidījuma terapija" ir kanādiešu uzņēmēja radīta spēle. Viņu sauc Džeisons Kamlijs. Būtībā doma ir 30 dienu garumā meklēt atraidījumus. Katru dienu saņemot atraidījumu, cilvēks beigās kļūst nejutīgs pret sāpēm. Man šī ideja ļoti iepatikās.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Noteicu: "Ziniet ko? Es to darīšu. Un nofilmēšu šos 100 atraidījumus." Es izdomāju pats savas atraidījuma idejas un izveidoju par to visu video blogu.
And so here's what I did. This is what the blog looked like. Day One ...
Lūk, ko darīju. Šādi izskatījās blogs. Pirmā diena.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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?"
Aizņemties 100 dolārus no svešinieka. Tā nu gāju uz savu darbavietu. Nokāpu lejā, kur ieraudzīju sēžam kādu lielu vīru. Izskatījās pēc apsarga. Es vienkārši piegāju viņam klāt. Tā nu es gāju, tas bija manas dzīves garākais gājiens. Mati uz pakauša saslējās stāvus, svīdu, un mana sirds strauji sitās. Nonācu pie viņa un teicu: "Sveiki, ser! Vai varu no jums aizņemties 100 dolāru?"
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
And he looked up, he's like, "No." "Why?"
Viņš palūkojās augšup: "Nē. Priekš kam?"
And I just said, "No? I'm sorry." Then I turned around, and I just ran.
Es tikai atteicu: "Nē? Atvainojiet!" Tad pagriezos un metos skriet.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Jutos tik apkaunots. Bet, tā kā biju sevi nofilmējis, vakarā skatījos, kā tiku atraidīts. Redzēju, cik nobijies biju. Izskatījos pēc puikas no "Sestā prāta". Es redzēju mirušos.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Bet tad paskatījos uz to puisi. Ziniet, viņš nemaz nebija tik draudīgs. Viņš bija apaļīgs, jauks puisis, un viņš pat man pajautāja, priekš kam. Patiesībā viņš aicināja mani paskaidrot lūgumu. Es varēju teikt jebko. Varēju paskaidrot, varēju mēģināt sarunāt. Bet es to nedarīju. Es tikai bēgu. Domāju, oho, tas ir kā manas dzīves mikrokosmoss. Ikreiz, kad sajutu kaut mazāko atteikumu, es tikai bēgu, cik ātri vien varu. Un ziniet ko? Rīt, lai kas arī notiktu, es nebēgšu. Es stāšos tam pretī.
Day Two: Request a "burger refill."
Otrā diena: palūgt papildināt burgeru.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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?"
Tā nu devos uz burgeru ēstuvi, papusdienoju un devos pie kasiera: "Sveiki, vai varu dabūt burgera papildinājumu?"
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
He was all confused, like, "What's a burger refill?"
Viņš bija apjucis: "Kas ir burgera papildinājums?"
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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."
Atbildēju, ka tas ir tāpat kā papildināt dzērienu, tikai burgeram. Viņš teica: "Piedod, mēs nepapildinām burgerus."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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."
Bija noticis atraidījums, varēju skriet, bet es paliku. Teicu: "Man garšo jūsu burgeri. Man patīk jūsu ēstuve. Ja jūs piedāvātu burgeru papildināšanu, jūs man patiktu vēl vairāk."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Viņš atbildēja: "Labi, pateikšu to savam vadītājam. Varbūt ieviesīsim, bet šodien gan mēs to nevaram darīt." Tad es gāju prom. Starp citu, nedomāju, ka viņi jebkad piedāvājuši burgeru papildinājumu. (Smiekli)
(Laughter)
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."
Domāju, ka viņi arvien ir turpat. Bet dzīvības un nāves sajūta, kas bija pirmajā reizē, šoreiz vairs nebija, jo es stājos pretī, jo nebēgu. Nodomāju: "Oho, lieliski, es jau mācos. Lieliski!"
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.
Trešā diena: dabūt olimpiskos virtuļus. Šeit mana dzīve sagriezās kājām gaisā. Aizgāju uz <i>Krispy Kreme</i>. Tas ir virtuļu veikaliņš, pārsvarā ASV dienvidaustrumos. Ticu, ka arī šeit tādi ir. Iegāju iekšā un jautāju: "Vai variet uztaisīt virtuļus, kas izskatītos kā olimpiskie apļi? Būtībā jāsavieno pieci virtuļi." Domāju, nav iespējams, ka viņi piekristu, vai ne? Virtuļu pārdevēja uztvēra mani ļoti nopietni.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Viņa izvilka papīru, sāka pierakstīt apļu krāsas, un domāt, kā to varētu dabūt gatavu. Un pēc piecpadsmit minūtēm viņa iznesa kasti ar olimpiskajiem apļiem. Es biju tik aizkustināts! Nespēju tam noticēt. Video <i>YouTube</i> savāca vairāk nekā 5 miljonus skatījumu. Arī pasaule tam nespēja noticēt.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Ziniet, pateicoties tam, es tiku avīzē, uz sarunu šovu, visur. Es kļuvu slavens. Daudz cilvēku sāka man rakstīt e-pastus, sakot: "Tas, ko dari, ir lieliski." Bet ziniet, slava un atpazīstamība man neko nedeva. Es patiesībā gribēju mācīties un mainīt sevi. Atlikušās 100 atraidījuma dienas pārvērtu rotaļu laukumā – pētījumu projektā. Gribēju redzēt, ko varu iemācīties.
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."
Un iemācījos daudz ko. Atklāju daudz noslēpumu. Piemēram, ja, saņemot atraidījumu, es nebēgu, varu patiesībā "nē" pārvērst "jā", un burvju vārdiņš ir "kāpēc".
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?"
Kādudien ar puķi rokās devos uz kāda svešinieka māju, pieklauvēju pie durvīm un teicu: "Sveiki, vai varu šo puķi iestādīt jūsu pagalmā?"
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Viņš atbildēja: "Nē." Pirms viņš paspēja aiziet, jautāju: "Klau, vai varu uzzināt, kāpēc?" "Nu, man ir suns, kas izrok jebko, ko es iestādu pagalmā. Negribu izniekot tavu puķi. Ja tomēr gribi to iestādīt, aprunājies pāri ielai ar Koniju. Viņai patīk puķes." Tā es arī darīju. Gāju pāri ielai, klauvēju pie Konijas durvīm. Viņa ļoti priecājās mani redzēt.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
And then half an hour later, there was this flower in Connie's backyard. I'm sure it looks better now.
Un pēc pusstundas puķe jau bija Konijas pagalmā. Esmu pārliecināts, ka tagad tā izskatās labāk.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Bet, ja būtu devies prom pēc sākotnējā atraidījuma, būtu domājis, tas bija tāpēc, ka viņš man neuzticējās, jo esmu traks, jo nebiju sapucējies un neizskatījos labi. Tie nebija iemesli. Viss tādēļ, ka tas, ko piedāvāju, nebija tas, ko viņš gribēja. Viņš man gana uzticējās, lai – tirgotāju terminoloģijā – ieteiktu mani kaimiņienei. Es ieteikumu izmantoju.
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."
Tad kādu dienu es arī iemācījos, ka ir lietas, kuras pasakot, iespēja saņemt piekrišanu pieaug. Tā, piemēram, kādudien devos uz <i>Starbucks</i> un jautāju vadītājam: "Vai varu būt <i>Starbucks</i> sagaidītājs?" Viņš: "Kas ir <i>Starbucks</i> sagaidītājs?" Teicu: "Ziniet tos <i>Walmart</i> sagaidītājus? Tos, kuri jūs sveicina, kad ienākat veikalā, un pēc būtības pārliecinās, ka kaut ko nenozogat? Gribu piedāvāt <i>Walmart</i> pieredzi <i>Starbucks</i> klientiem."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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."
Neesmu pārliecināts, ka tā ir laba ideja. Patiesībā esmu diezgan drošs, ka tā ir slikta ideja. Viņš atbildēja: "Nu..." Jā, tas ir viņš, Ēriks, un viņš teica: "Nezinu..." Te viņš manī klausās: "Nezinu gan." Tad es pajautāju: "Vai tas ir savādi?" "Jā, vecīt, tas ir ļoti savādi." Bet, tiklīdz viņš bija to izteicis, viņa nostāja mainījās. It kā viņš visas šaubas būtu nolicis malā. Viņš noteica: "Jā, vari to darīt, tikai nepadari visu pārāk dīvainu."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Tā nu nākamo stundu biju <i>Starbucks</i> sagaidītājs. Entuziastiski sveicināju katru ienākušo klientu, Starp citu, nezinu, kādi ir jūsu karjeras plāni, bet nekļūstiet par sagaidītājiem.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Tas bija galīgi garlaicīgi. Bet tad sapratu, ka varēju to darīt, jo pajautāju, vai tas ir dīvaini. Es pieminēju viņa šaubas. Tā kā apjautājos, vai tas ir savādi, tas vairs nebija savādi. Tas vienkārši nozīmēja, ka domāju tāpat kā viņš, uzskatot to par dīvainu rīcību. Atkal un atkal sapratu, ka, pieminot šaubas, kas cilvēkiem varētu būt, pirms uzdodu jautājumu, es iegūstu viņu uzticību. Ir lielāka iespēja, ka cilvēki piekritīs.
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."
Un tad sapratu, ka varu īstenot savu dzīves sapni. Pajautājot. Ziniet, manā ģimenē ir skolotāji četrās paaudzēs, un vecmāmiņa man vienmēr teikusi, "Dzja, vari darīt ko vien vēlies, bet būtu jauki, ja tu kļūtu par skolotāju."
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Gribēju būt uzņēmējs, tāpēc par skolotāju nekļuvu. Tomēr arvien esmu sapņojis, ka varētu kaut ko mācīt. Tā nu teicu sev: "Ja nu es pajautātu un novadītu lekciju koledžā?" Tobrīd dzīvoju Ostinā, tāpēc gāju uz Teksasas Universitāti un klauvēju pie pasniedzēju durvīm: "Vai varu novadīt jūsu lekciju?" Pirmās pāris reizes man neizdevās. Bet, tā kā nebēgu, turpināju uzstāt, un trešajā piegājienā, profesors bija ļoti pārsteigts. Viņš sacīja, ka neviens tā vēl nav darījis. Ierados ar prezentācijām, ar sagatavotu nodarbību. Viņš teica: "Tas varētu man noderēt. Tu varētu atnākt pēc diviem mēnešiem. Iekļaušu tevi programmā." Pēc diviem mēnešiem es vadīju nodarbību.
This is me -- you probably can't see, this is a bad picture. You know, sometimes you get rejected by lighting, you know?
Tas esmu es, jūs droši vien neredzat, jo šī ir slikta bilde. Dažreiz pat gaisma var būt pret jums.
(Laughter)
(Smiekli)
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.
Bet, oho, pēc nodarbības izejot no telpas, es apraudājos, jo sapratu, ka varu piepildīt savas dzīves sapņus, vienkārši pajautājot. Man likās, ka jāīsteno visas ieceres, jākļūst par lielisku uzņēmēju, jāiegūst doktora grāds, lai varētu mācīt, bet nē, es vienkārši pajautāju un varēju mācīt.
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.
Un bildē, ko nevariet redzēt, es citēju Martinu Luteru Kingu jaunāko. Kāpēc? Jo pētot sapratu, ka cilvēki, kas mainījuši pasauli, kas mainījuši to, kā dzīvojam un domājam, ir tie, kas sākotnēji nereti sakārušies pat ar vardarbīgiem atraidījumiem. Tādi kā Martins Luters Kings jaunākais, Mahatma Gandi, Nelsons Mandela, pat Jēzus Kristus. Šie cilvēki neļāvās atraidījuma ietekmei. Šos cilvēkus raksturo viņu reakcija uz atraidījumu. Viņi pieņēma atraidījumu.
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.
Mums nav jābūt viņiem, lai iemācītos par atraidījumu, un manā gadījumā atraidījums bija mans lāsts, mans bubulis. Tas visu dzīvi man nelika mieru, jo es no tā bēgu. Tad es sāku to pieņemt. Pārvērtu to par savas dzīves lielāko dāvanu. Sāku mācīt cilvēkiem, kā atraidījumus pārvērst iespējās. Izmantoju savu blogu, savas uzrunas, izmantoju tikko iznākušo grāmatu, pat veidoju tehnoloģiju, kas palīdzētu cilvēkiem pārvarēt bailes no atraidījuma.
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.
Kad tiksiet atraidīti, kad saskarsieties ar nākamo šķērsli vai nākamo neveiksmi, padomājiet par iespējām. Nebēdziet. Ja pieņemsiet atraidījumus, tie var kļūt arī par jūsu dzīves dāvanām.
Thank you.
Paldies.
(Applause)
(Aplausi)