"I got an interview at Dean Whitter for an internship, and I got it. So I'm going to stand out in my program."
When Chris Gardner spoke those words to his wife in a scene from the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, he wasn't boasting, and he wasn't being cocky. It was a very solemn scene. His wife was about to leave him. She wondered how he would be able to raise their son, and she asked him what he was going to do for money.
When he told her that he was going to stand out in the internship program, he had his head down, but it was as if he were looking out into the future as he spoke. To me, it was one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.
The reason Chris Gardner succeeded, in my opinion, wasn't just because he was "good with numbers and good with people". It was because of the strong belief that he had in himself. He willed himself to survive, succeed, and flourish -- despite the odds that were against him.
This part of his character -- this belief in himself and his abilities -- also showed itself in the interview for the internship at Dean Whitter, when he told the interviewers that he was the type of person who, if he didn't know the answer to a question, he would find it. He was very certain about this. The interviewer saw that quality in him and, despite the fact that he was dressed as a "garbage man", gave him a position in the internship program. Chris Gardner made the very most of that opportunity.
There were many inspirational moments in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, and there were many things that impressed me about Chris Gardner. But the thing that impressed me the most was his belief in himself.
Belief in oneself: it is the most powerful force that a person can have.
"If you want something, go get it. Period." - Chris Gardner
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