Success and Chances

In this "Land of Opportunity", we're all looking for our Big Chance. Maybe you'll get that job you've always fantasized about. Maybe you'll nail that stellar promotion. Maybe you'll retire early. Maybe you'll inherit that beautiful lake house. The fun thing about these dreams is that they happen all the time. Now, maybe you won't get everything you've always wanted, but chances are you'll have at least a dream or two come true [cue the singing cricket].

I've also learned that while people are chasing their own dreams and ambitions, they like to pause and observe others who have achieved theirs. Let's take a modern day example that most of the world can understand: Michael Phelps. Phelps had a dream to become an Olympian, so he took the necessary measures to fulfill this dream. He worked on technique, conditioned his body, monitored what he ate, and stuck to a very monotonous (but effective) routine for several years. Then, in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Phelps' hard work paid off.

But what I'd like to focus on is how the world stopped, if only for an instant, to see if he would be successful. And when he was, in fact, successful, the voices of entire nations joined together in a choir of praise... All because one man achieved his dream. He did what we all long to do at some point in our lives: be given a shot at something great, and nail it.

It's in this spirit that I wanted to share the following recent success story about a young man named Steve Demeter. You might know him as the architect of "Trism," the popular game found at the iTunes Store. Demeter was a "normal" guy working an 8 to 5 like the rest of us. But unlike most of us, he was given an extraordinary opportunity. He submitted this "Trism" game to the iTunes store in hopes it would find enough buyers to be called a success. And successful it was.

Here's a quote from an article by CNN:

"A former ATM software designer for a large bank, Demeter created "Trism" in his spare time and pitched it to Apple last spring. The company made the game available for download with the July launch of its App Store, an online provider of applications for its iPods and iPhones. Priced at $5, "Trism" earned Demeter $250,000 in profits the first two months."

[I'd just like to repeat one part, in case you missed it. $250,000 IN PROFITS IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS! I think we can call that successful.]

What I find most appealing about this story is how this"Average Joe" got a shot a something great, and succeeded.


Reader, you and I will both have unique opportunities offered to us in the future. While they may not be fame and fortune, they will be rewarding nonetheless. My hope is that both of us are ready to show what we're truly made of when the time comes.