“It's taken my life to learn what not to play.” Dizzy Gillespie
It’s funny how it takes most of our lives to figure out what we’re good at. Early in my career I wanted to be in on everything, do everything, and be the best at everything; writing that now makes me remember an old poster in my father’s office that said: “too soon old, too late smart”. We all need to figure out what we’re best at, hopefully sooner rather than later. It took a while, but I eventually learned that I was good at telling stories and inspiring employees to get engaged. I always liked public speaking and the big hotels I opened gave me a great platform on which to practice. And I was fortunate to work with others who knew what they were good at: the master chefs whose passion for their profession was evident in every plate that left their kitchens, entertainers like Siegfried and Roy and Cirque du Soleil who were great at creating scenes of joy and wonder that made audiences smile, the engineers and technicians who built properties that worked really well and amazed everyone, and lots of employees who loved working in a company they loved. The key to life is enjoying what you do: meaning you have to learn what that should be. Don’t let life pass by without learning what you should play… and not play. Find your calling today.
John "Dizzy" Gillespie (1917 –199 3): American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer.
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