It's Not That Prestigious
I knew I would never go to Harvard. I was not a great student. My test scores were horrible. Truthfully, I hated school. Additionally, I came from a home that didn’t rely much on education. Rather, my brother and I came from a home that worked. So, work ethic was our education. Our mom cared if we did well but it did not compare to finding a good job and working there for 30-40 years.
As a kid, I loved the idea and prestige of Harvard. How exclusive it was. The people I’d meet and the history.
It was 2016 and I was in a resort in Orlando, Florida. There was a business conference I was invited to and one night at dinner, I met a man that was investing in the company I worked for at the time. His name was Kahlil. He attended Oxford and Harvard and our conversation that night from what I recall was fascinating. Of that, the most profound was his remarks about Harvard.
“Harvard is good for one thing. It shows us how to walk with a perpetual stick up our behind. It’s not that prestigious. What matters is your work ethic. Not the name of the institution on your degree.”
At the time I was in school and realized he was right. I was attending a state university, with high honors and when I graduated I noticed it’s about can I do the job. Not where I studied. Then I noticed some of the horrific, dumb and incompetent people that attended Harvard. It’s not that prestigious.
When you enter a doctors office or sit with a lawyer, you never ask where they went to school. You simply just trust them. Where they received their education matters little.
Now if anyone reading this has attended Harvard, or any other ivy league university, please share your experience. For the rest of us, the message here is that work matters. Work ethic matters. You want to show up everyday and study or work hard. Have a way about it so that you’ll outwork anyone from any ivy league. Of course, it helps to have meaningful work.
The school name matters nothing. It’s not that prestigious. What matters is you. And for those of you who did not go to college, who cares! You don’t need a college degree to have a good life. What matters most is you love your work, that you’re great at it and you can provide for yourself and your family. You can be just as successful without a college degree compared to someone who has one. There are few things better for oneself to find meaningful work you love and work you’re good at. Now that’s prestigious.
Thought Provoking Questions : How hard are you willing to work?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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