Chapter 6
Never Be Afraid to Try Something and Make a Mistake
Making a Commitment and Sticking With It
I packed my red Volvo and headed south from Chicago. I was excited, but also nervous and unsure of myself. As I pulled into the town in rural Alabama, passing farms and cows and a run-down bar, I began to cry. What had I done? Had I made the greatest mistake of my life? What kind of place had I come to?
I knew in my heart why I had picked Auburn, and I knew the only reason I was there was because of my decision not to visit either school before I made my choice. There was no question that if I had made those two visits I would have picked Vanderbilt. The way in which I decided could really be taught in corporate boardrooms, since my decision was about people—and putting vision before circumstance. Life is about interaction with others, how you motivate yourself and those around you, and how you are going to develop. That’s much more important than what a place looks like. I’m fascinated I had this view even at a very young age and after living in Chicago. It seems as though I received some really good lessons about what is important, since I knew I didn’t need to see either school and was instead committed to the belief that having a mentor was the important thing.
As with any decision, you never know what would have happened had you made the opposite decision. I didn’t want to think about that, however, no matter how unhappy I was during my first year at Auburn.
It didn’t seem ...
