“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change,” says Dan Caro, a professional drummer now turned professional speaker. A New Orleans native, Dan grew up with music, loved the piano at an early age, and loved to sing. He dreamt he could be a musician.
How he kept that dream real can inspire you as a job seeker.
In his new book The Gift of Fire, he describes the accident that would cost him all but one of his ten fingers, and significantly burn over 70% of his body.
Many, many surgeries later, Dan figured out, with the help of his plastic surgeons and his family, that he could concoct some tools that would allow him to hold drumsticks, and actually play the drums. Remember, he loved music. He became so good at the drums, he won a scholarship to a nationally-recognized music school, and became the drummer for the college’s award-winning jazz band.
Then Dan became a professional drummer in his home town of New Orleans, becoming a bit of a local legend, playing in 11 different jazz bands at once at one time. Now he is a public speaker and a spokesman for Shriners International, whose miraculous care allowed Dan to live out his dream of being a musician.
He’s an amazing example of having something really bad happen, and turning it into something really good.
Have you had something really bad happen to you, like coming in second for a job that you really wanted? Get inspired from the words of Dan Caro – (hint) see beginning of this post – or check out his video promo for Shriners (www.DanCaro.com).
The ultimate message, when you have family, when you have friends, when you have an extended networking community, lean on them. You can inspire them, and make them look good, as Dan Caro did, by following your dream.