Linzi Barbour's story about The Pursuit of Happyness
« Back to The Book That Changed My Life
Author: Chris Gardner
Synopsisis the inspiring, rags-to-riches story of the charismatic Chris Gardner - a once homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco and went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street. At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry level position at a prestigious firm, Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him homeless with his toddler son. Instead of giving in to despair, the two spent almost a year moving from shelters, "HO-tels", and soup-lines, even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station - ultimately making an astonishing transformation from the bathroom to the boardroom.
My Story
As a single parent myself, it's all too easy to get bogged down and get stuck in a rut. You forget to plan for the future as you're far too concerned trying to survive day to day and you constantly feel like "It's going to be this struggle for the rest of my life." Gardner's true-life story was inspirational. He showed that through sheer grit and determination you can change the path you take. It's never easy, but he had it harder than most and still managed to be successful and raise his son. Reading his book has given me the courage to recapture the image I had of how life should be and given me the determination to take the first steps to making that happen.
At 24, most would say that I am too old to have a hero, but Chris Garner is mine.
Post new comment