This is an excellent talk by human resource professional Regina Hartley on TED Talks. “Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume.”
She explains why those who often find difficulty and adversity in their careers might just be the ones to hire — over the ones with the “Silver Spoons.”
It reminds me of something we had to memorize at the Naval Academy as Plebes (first year students). It’s a poem called, “All in the State of Mind.” It goes like this:
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world you’ll find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
Full many a race is lost
Ere even a step is run.
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work is begun.
Think big and your deeds will grow.
Think small and you’ll fall behind.
Think that you can and you will —
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You ever can win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.