I read a quote by Thomas Edison the other day where he said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

It got me thinking about how that’s probably one of the truest quotes I’ve ever read. All the time I read about successful people who get their start being a janitor at a local highschool or a mechanic at a shop.

A lot of influential people had to do something they hated before they had the opportunity to do what they loved. And sometimes, that very opportunity came to them on the job itself.

Take Harrison Ford. You know, the man who played Han Solo in Star Wars and played the lead role in Indiana Jones along countless other movies?

He wasn’t always at the top in Hollywood.

When Ford moved to Los Angeles in the 1960’s to pursue acting, all he could get was a few small gigs that didn’t lead him anywhere. When he kept showing up to auditions, he was told that he lacked “star quality” and was constantly turned away.

And so, making no money and having a family to support, he turned to carpentry to make the funds he needed to survive. Little did he know he’d end up doing carpentry for over a decade while getting practically no work in the acting field.

What made it worse was that he didn’t even care for the job. He only did it so he could support him and his family. In other words, he put on the overalls and did what he hated so one day he could do what he loved.

One afternoon, while building a deck for a man named George Lucas, George was impressed by his personality and asked him about auditioning for a character in a movie he’s shooting.

Ford took the opportunity and was eventually cast as Han Solo in Star Wars. Finally creating the spark he needed as a famous actor in Hollywood.

I think Ford’s story perfectly encapsulates the idea of Edison’s quote. Sometimes you have to pick up the tools of the trade in order to do what you truly want. Whether you’re doing it for money to support your family like Ford, or just need to gain some extra experience, don’t be afraid to put on the overalls and take some time for that opportunity to show itself.

You never know, that job you hate might be the one thing standing between you and the one you love.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading George Washingtons biography titled Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. Being close to 900-pages, I’ll probably be reading this one for a while.

Quote Of The Week - “Start being wrong and suddenly anything is possible.” — Paul Arden