0:00:00.946,0:00:02.708
When I was six years old,

0:00:02.708,0:00:04.168
I received my gifts.

0:00:04.546,0:00:07.536
My first grade teacher[br]had this brilliant idea.

0:00:08.008,0:00:11.403
She wanted us to experience[br]receiving gifts,

0:00:11.403,0:00:15.143
but also learning the virtue[br]of complimenting each other.

0:00:15.916,0:00:18.742
So she had all of us come[br]to the front of the classroom,

0:00:18.742,0:00:20.251
and she bought all of us gifts,

0:00:20.251,0:00:21.734
and stacked them in the corner.

0:00:21.734,0:00:22.734
And she said,

0:00:22.734,0:00:25.656
"Why don't we just stand here[br]and compliment each other?

0:00:25.656,0:00:27.434
If you hear your name called,

0:00:27.434,0:00:30.020
go and pick up your gift and sit down."

0:00:30.779,0:00:32.450
What a wonderful idea, right?

0:00:33.099,0:00:34.408
What could go wrong?

0:00:34.408,0:00:35.630
(Laughter)

0:00:36.689,0:00:38.755
Well, there were 40 of us to start with,

0:00:38.755,0:00:41.240
and every time I heard[br]someone's name called,

0:00:41.240,0:00:43.705
I would give out the heartiest cheer.

0:00:43.705,0:00:46.077
And then there were 20 people left,

0:00:46.077,0:00:47.934
and 10 people left,

0:00:47.934,0:00:49.892
and five left ...

0:00:49.892,0:00:51.264
and three left.

0:00:51.264,0:00:52.500
And I was one of them.

0:00:52.863,0:00:54.812
And the compliments stopped.

0:00:55.831,0:00:58.438
Well, at that moment, I was crying.

0:00:58.851,0:01:01.052
And the teacher was freaking out.

0:01:01.052,0:01:04.729
She was like, "Hey, would anyone say[br]anything nice about these people?"

0:01:04.729,0:01:05.730
(Laughter)

0:01:05.730,0:01:06.726
"No one?

0:01:06.726,0:01:09.170
OK, why don't you go[br]get your gift and sit down.

0:01:09.170,0:01:10.282
So behave next year --

0:01:10.282,0:01:12.350
someone might say[br]something nice about you."

0:01:12.350,0:01:13.726
(Laughter)

0:01:14.744,0:01:16.497
Well, as I'm describing this you,

0:01:16.497,0:01:19.014
you probably know[br]I remember this really well.

0:01:19.014,0:01:20.171
(Laughter)

0:01:21.019,0:01:23.176
But I don't know who felt worse that day.

0:01:23.176,0:01:25.415
Was it me, or the teacher?

0:01:25.415,0:01:28.564
She must have realized[br]that she turned a [team-building] event

0:01:28.564,0:01:31.634
into a public [roast][br]for three six-year-olds.

0:01:32.366,0:01:33.743
And without the humor.

0:01:33.743,0:01:36.109
You know, when you see people[br]get [roasted] on TV,

0:01:36.109,0:01:37.110
it was funny.

0:01:37.110,0:01:39.296
There was nothing funny about that day.

0:01:39.722,0:01:42.669
So that was one version of me,

0:01:42.669,0:01:46.285
and I would die to avoid[br]being in that situation again --

0:01:46.285,0:01:48.221
to get rejected in public again.

0:01:48.596,0:01:49.824
That's one version.

0:01:50.132,0:01:52.589
Then fast-forward eight years.

0:01:52.601,0:01:54.641
Bill Gates came to my hometown --

0:01:54.641,0:01:55.757
Beijing, China --

0:01:55.757,0:01:56.896
to speak,

0:01:56.896,0:01:58.597
and I saw his message.

0:01:58.916,0:02:01.089
I fell in love with that guy.

0:02:01.270,0:02:04.259
I thought, wow, I know[br]what I want to do now.

0:02:04.259,0:02:06.390
That night I wrote a letter to my family

0:02:06.390,0:02:08.670
telling them by age 25,

0:02:08.670,0:02:11.282
I will build the biggest[br]company in the world,

0:02:11.282,0:02:13.246
and that company will buy Microsoft.

0:02:13.246,0:02:14.913
(Laughter)

0:02:15.096,0:02:17.671
I totally embraced this idea[br]of conquering the world --

0:02:17.671,0:02:18.983
domination, right?

0:02:19.425,0:02:21.178
And I didn't make this up,

0:02:21.178,0:02:22.385
I did write that letter.

0:02:22.385,0:02:23.668
And hear it is --

0:02:23.668,0:02:24.717
(Laughter)

0:02:25.728,0:02:27.854
You don't have to read this through --

0:02:27.854,0:02:29.239
(Laughter)

0:02:29.239,0:02:31.155
This is also bad handwriting,

0:02:31.155,0:02:32.840
but I did highlight some key words.

0:02:33.822,0:02:34.976
You get the idea.

0:02:35.200,0:02:36.530
(Laughter)

0:02:36.940,0:02:41.574
So, that was another version of me:

0:02:41.574,0:02:43.684
one who will conquer the world.

0:02:44.121,0:02:45.747
Well, then two years later,

0:02:45.747,0:02:49.033
I was presented with the opportunity[br]to come to the United States.

0:02:49.543,0:02:51.182
I jumped on it,

0:02:51.182,0:02:53.513
because that was where[br]Bill Gates lived, right?

0:02:53.513,0:02:54.506
(Laughter)

0:02:54.506,0:02:57.429
I thought that was the start[br]of my entrepreneur journey.

0:02:58.012,0:03:00.100
Then, fast-forward another 14 years.

0:03:00.100,0:03:01.613
I was 30.

0:03:01.613,0:03:03.553
Nope, I didn't build that company.

0:03:03.953,0:03:05.099
I didn't even start.

0:03:05.467,0:03:09.096
I was actually a marketing manager[br]for a Fortune 500 company.

0:03:09.520,0:03:11.228
And I felt I was stuck;

0:03:11.228,0:03:12.679
I was stagnant.

0:03:13.246,0:03:14.272
Why is that?

0:03:14.272,0:03:16.986
Where is that 14-year-old[br]who wrote that letter?

0:03:17.665,0:03:19.266
It's not because he didn't try.

0:03:19.653,0:03:22.830
It's because every time I had a new idea,

0:03:22.830,0:03:24.803
every time I wanted to try something new,

0:03:24.803,0:03:26.044
even at work --

0:03:26.044,0:03:27.858
I wanted to make a proposal,

0:03:27.858,0:03:31.358
I wanted to speak up[br]in front of people in a group --

0:03:31.358,0:03:33.197
I felt there was this constant battle

0:03:33.197,0:03:35.888
between the 14-year-old[br]and the six-year-old.

0:03:36.115,0:03:38.267
One wanted to conquer the world --

0:03:38.267,0:03:39.506
make a difference --

0:03:39.506,0:03:41.882
another was afraid of rejection.

0:03:42.156,0:03:44.812
And every time that six-year-old won.

0:03:45.898,0:03:49.498
And this fear even persisted[br]after I started my own company.

0:03:50.061,0:03:53.121
I mean, I started my own[br]company when I was 30 --

0:03:53.121,0:03:54.529
if you want to be Bill Gates,

0:03:54.529,0:03:56.548
you've got to start[br]sooner or later, right?

0:03:56.548,0:03:57.545
(Laughter)

0:03:57.545,0:04:00.023
When I was an entrepreneur,

0:04:00.023,0:04:02.798
I was presented with[br]an investment opportunity,

0:04:02.798,0:04:04.738
and then I was turned down.

0:04:05.282,0:04:06.688
And that rejection hurt me.

0:04:07.065,0:04:10.797
It hurt me so bad that I wanted[br]to quit right there.

0:04:11.427,0:04:12.431
But then I thought,

0:04:12.431,0:04:17.201
hey, would Bill Gates quit[br]after a simple investment rejection?

0:04:17.201,0:04:20.101
Would any successful[br]entrepreneur quit like that?

0:04:20.101,0:04:21.512
No way.

0:04:21.512,0:04:23.544
And this is where it clicked for me.

0:04:23.544,0:04:25.387
OK, I can build a better company.

0:04:25.387,0:04:27.661
I can build a better[br]team or better product,

0:04:27.661,0:04:29.190
but one thing for sure:

0:04:29.190,0:04:31.035
I've got to be a better leader.

0:04:31.035,0:04:33.059
I've got to be a better person.

0:04:33.059,0:04:36.259
I cannot let that six-year-old[br]keep dictating my life anymore.

0:04:36.259,0:04:38.672
I have to put him back to his place.

0:04:39.095,0:04:41.480
So this is where I went online[br]and looked for help.

0:04:41.480,0:04:42.878
Google was my friend.

0:04:42.878,0:04:43.881
(Laughter)

0:04:43.881,0:04:46.604
I searched, "How do I overcome[br]the fear of rejection?"

0:04:47.189,0:04:49.990
I came up with a bunch[br]of psychology articles

0:04:49.990,0:04:52.396
about where the fear[br]and pain are coming from.

0:04:52.984,0:04:56.352
Then I came up with a bunch of "Ra-ra"[br]inspirational articles

0:04:56.352,0:04:58.931
about "Don't take it personally,[br]just overcome it."

0:04:59.393,0:05:00.994
Who doesn't know that?

0:05:01.006,0:05:02.444
(Laughter)

0:05:02.766,0:05:04.566
But why was I still so scared?

0:05:04.958,0:05:06.970
Then I found this website by luck.

0:05:06.970,0:05:08.972
It's called rejectiontherapy.com.

0:05:09.565,0:05:10.850
(Laughter)

0:05:12.001,0:05:15.935
Rejection Therapy was this game[br]invented by this Canadian entrepreneur.

0:05:15.935,0:05:17.635
His name is Jason Comely.

0:05:17.635,0:05:22.580
And basically the idea is for 30 days[br]you go out and look for rejection,

0:05:22.580,0:05:25.092
and every day get rejected at something,

0:05:25.092,0:05:26.307
and then by the end,

0:05:26.307,0:05:28.978
you desensitize yourself from the pain.

0:05:29.514,0:05:31.304
And I loved that idea.

0:05:31.304,0:05:32.712
(Laughter)

0:05:32.712,0:05:33.934
I said, "You know what?

0:05:33.934,0:05:35.200
I'm going to do this.

0:05:35.200,0:05:37.958
And I'll feel myself[br]getting rejected 100 days."

0:05:37.958,0:05:40.508
And I came up with my own rejection ideas,

0:05:40.508,0:05:43.277
and I will make a video blog out of it.

0:05:43.761,0:05:45.609
And so here's what I did.

0:05:45.879,0:05:47.962
This is what the blog looked like.

0:05:48.523,0:05:50.692
Day One ...

0:05:50.692,0:05:51.689
(Laughter)

0:05:51.689,0:05:55.127
Borrow $100 from a Stanger.

0:05:55.993,0:05:58.794
So this is where I went[br]to where I was working.

0:05:58.794,0:06:00.604
I came downstairs

0:06:00.604,0:06:02.743
and I saw this big guy[br]sitting behind a desk,

0:06:02.743,0:06:04.577
he looked like a security guard.

0:06:04.577,0:06:06.150
So I just approach him.

0:06:06.150,0:06:08.315
And I was just walking in --

0:06:08.315,0:06:10.586
that was the longest walk of my life --

0:06:10.586,0:06:12.711
just hair on the back[br]of my neck standing up,

0:06:12.711,0:06:15.071
I was sweating and my heart was pounding,

0:06:15.071,0:06:16.285
and I got there and said,

0:06:16.285,0:06:18.946
"Hey, sir, can I borrow $100 from you?"

0:06:18.946,0:06:20.277
(Laughter)

0:06:20.277,0:06:21.276
And he looked up,

0:06:21.276,0:06:22.340
he's like, "No."

0:06:22.340,0:06:23.340
(Laughter)

0:06:23.340,0:06:24.285
"Why?"

0:06:24.530,0:06:26.163
And I just said, "No?

0:06:26.163,0:06:27.160
I'm sorry."

0:06:27.160,0:06:28.923
Then I turned around and I just ran.

0:06:28.923,0:06:29.915
(Laughter)

0:06:31.202,0:06:33.063
I felt so embarrassed.

0:06:33.063,0:06:34.529
But because I filmed myself --

0:06:34.529,0:06:37.699
so that night I was watching[br]myself getting rejected,

0:06:37.699,0:06:39.424
I just saw how scared I was.

0:06:39.688,0:06:42.247
I looked like this kid[br]in "The Sixth Sense."

0:06:42.247,0:06:43.653
I saw dead people.

0:06:43.653,0:06:44.877
(Laughter)

0:06:45.321,0:06:46.892
But then I saw this guy.

0:06:46.892,0:06:48.910
You know, he wasn't that menacing.

0:06:48.910,0:06:51.251
He was a chubby, loveable guy,

0:06:51.251,0:06:54.609
and he even asked me, "Why?"

0:06:54.609,0:06:56.724
In fact, he invited me to explain myself.

0:06:57.045,0:06:58.572
I could've said many things.

0:06:58.572,0:06:59.600
I could've explained,

0:06:59.600,0:07:01.062
I could've negotiated.

0:07:01.062,0:07:02.765
I didn't do any of that.

0:07:02.903,0:07:04.640
All I did was run.

0:07:05.231,0:07:08.654
I felt, wow, this is like[br]the microcosm of my life.

0:07:09.203,0:07:11.771
Every time I felt the slightest rejection,

0:07:11.771,0:07:14.082
I would just run as fast as I could.

0:07:14.082,0:07:15.083
And you know what?

0:07:15.083,0:07:16.079
The next day,

0:07:16.079,0:07:17.202
no matter what happens,

0:07:17.202,0:07:18.572
I'm not going to run.

0:07:18.572,0:07:19.814
I'll stay engaged.

0:07:20.272,0:07:22.237
Day Two: Request a "Burger Refill."

0:07:22.565,0:07:23.967
(Laughter)

0:07:24.424,0:07:26.488
It's when I went to a burger joint,

0:07:26.488,0:07:27.593
I finished lunch,

0:07:27.593,0:07:29.336
and I went to the cashier and said,

0:07:29.336,0:07:30.999
"Hi, can I get a burger refill?"

0:07:30.999,0:07:32.206
(Laughter)

0:07:32.862,0:07:34.144
And he was all confused,

0:07:34.144,0:07:35.621
like, "What's a burger refill?"

0:07:35.621,0:07:36.617
(Laughter)

0:07:36.617,0:07:39.654
I said, "Well, it's just like a drink[br]refill but with a burger."

0:07:39.654,0:07:40.649
(Laughter)

0:07:40.649,0:07:43.200
And he said, "Sorry, we don't[br]do burger refill, man."

0:07:43.200,0:07:44.284
(Laughter)

0:07:44.284,0:07:47.295
So this is where rejection happened[br]and I could have run,

0:07:47.295,0:07:48.546
but I stayed.

0:07:48.546,0:07:50.816
I said, "Well, I love your burgers,

0:07:50.816,0:07:52.248
I love your joint,

0:07:52.248,0:07:54.240
and if you guys do a burger refill,

0:07:54.240,0:07:55.760
I will love you guys more."

0:07:55.760,0:07:56.755
(Laughter)

0:07:56.755,0:07:59.590
And he said, "Well, ok, I'll tell[br]my manager about it,

0:07:59.590,0:08:00.673
and maybe we'll do it,

0:08:00.673,0:08:02.550
but sorry we can't do this today."

0:08:02.550,0:08:04.004
Then I left.

0:08:04.004,0:08:05.842
And by the way,

0:08:05.842,0:08:08.048
I don't think they've[br]ever done burger refill.

0:08:08.048,0:08:09.191
(Laughter)

0:08:09.191,0:08:10.600
I think they're still there.

0:08:11.590,0:08:14.851
But, the life and death feeling[br]I was feeling the first time

0:08:14.851,0:08:16.169
was no longer there,

0:08:16.169,0:08:17.959
just because I stayed engaged --

0:08:17.959,0:08:19.569
because I didn't run.

0:08:19.569,0:08:20.733
I said, "Wow, great,

0:08:20.733,0:08:22.683
I'm already learning things.

0:08:22.683,0:08:23.681
Great."

0:08:23.681,0:08:25.872
And then Day Three:[br]Getting Olympic Doughnuts.

0:08:27.025,0:08:29.996
This is where my life[br]was turned upside down.

0:08:30.455,0:08:31.907
I went to a Krispy Kreme.

0:08:31.907,0:08:35.457
It's a doughnut shop in mainly the[br]Southeastern part of the United States.

0:08:35.857,0:08:37.874
I'm sure they have some here, too.

0:08:37.874,0:08:38.911
And I went in,

0:08:38.911,0:08:42.051
I said, "Can you make me doughnuts[br]that look like Olympic symbols?

0:08:42.051,0:08:44.631
Basically, you interlink[br]five doughnuts together ... "

0:08:44.631,0:08:45.631
(Laughter)

0:08:45.631,0:08:47.881
I mean there's no way[br]they could say yes, right?

0:08:47.881,0:08:49.999
The doughnut maker took me so seriously.

0:08:50.387,0:08:51.413
(Laughter)

0:08:51.413,0:08:52.465
So she put out paper,

0:08:52.465,0:08:55.121
started jotting down[br]the colors and the rings,

0:08:55.121,0:08:57.143
and is like, "How can I make this?"

0:08:57.143,0:08:58.970
And then 15 minutes later,

0:08:58.970,0:09:01.601
she came out with a box[br]that looked like Olympic rings.

0:09:01.601,0:09:02.601
(Laughter)

0:09:02.601,0:09:04.197
And I was so touched.

0:09:04.197,0:09:06.392
I just couldn't believe it.

0:09:06.392,0:09:09.704
And that video got over five[br]million views on Youtube.

0:09:10.743,0:09:12.665
The world couldn't believe that either.

0:09:12.665,0:09:14.110
(Laughter)

0:09:15.931,0:09:19.006
And because of that I was in newspapers,

0:09:19.006,0:09:20.011
in talk shows,

0:09:20.011,0:09:21.013
in everything.

0:09:21.013,0:09:22.143
And I became famous.

0:09:22.143,0:09:24.283
A lot of people started[br]writing emails to me,

0:09:24.283,0:09:26.655
and saying, "What you're[br]doing is awesome."

0:09:26.655,0:09:30.305
But you know, fame and notoriety[br]did not do anything to me.

0:09:30.305,0:09:32.105
What I really wanted to do was learn,

0:09:32.105,0:09:33.435
and to change myself,

0:09:33.435,0:09:35.851
so I turned the rest[br]of my 100 days of rejection

0:09:35.851,0:09:37.959
into this playground --

0:09:37.959,0:09:39.935
into this research project.

0:09:39.935,0:09:42.097
I wanted to see what I could learn.

0:09:42.455,0:09:44.392
And then I learned a lot of things.

0:09:44.392,0:09:45.893
I discovered so many secrets.

0:09:45.893,0:09:46.893
For example,

0:09:46.893,0:09:48.873
I found if I just don't run,

0:09:48.873,0:09:49.987
if I got rejected,

0:09:49.987,0:09:52.000
I could actually turn a "no" into a "yes,"

0:09:52.000,0:09:53.795
and the magic word is, "why."

0:09:53.795,0:09:56.080
So one day I went to a stranger's house,

0:09:56.080,0:09:57.472
I had this flower in my hand,

0:09:57.472,0:09:58.465
and I said --

0:09:58.465,0:10:02.151
knocked on the door and said, "Hey,[br]can I plant this flower in your backyard?"

0:10:02.151,0:10:03.154
(Laughter)

0:10:03.154,0:10:05.217
And he said, "No."

0:10:05.817,0:10:07.774
But before he could leave I said,

0:10:07.774,0:10:09.642
"Hey, can I know why?"

0:10:09.642,0:10:12.687
And he said, "Well, I have this dog

0:10:12.687,0:10:15.029
that would dig up anything[br]I put in the backyard.

0:10:15.029,0:10:16.655
I don't want to waste your flower.

0:10:16.655,0:10:17.761
If you want to do this,

0:10:17.761,0:10:19.669
go across the street and talk to Connie.

0:10:19.669,0:10:20.681
She loves flowers."

0:10:20.681,0:10:21.682
(Laughter)

0:10:21.682,0:10:22.709
So that's what I did.

0:10:22.709,0:10:24.752
I went across and knocked[br]on Connie's door.

0:10:24.752,0:10:26.542
And she was so happy to see me.

0:10:26.542,0:10:27.901
(Laughter)

0:10:28.086,0:10:29.485
And then half an hour later,

0:10:29.485,0:10:31.511
there was this flower[br]in Connie's backyard.

0:10:31.511,0:10:32.894
I'm sure it looks better now.

0:10:32.894,0:10:33.892
(Laughter)

0:10:34.438,0:10:37.262
But had I left after[br]the initial rejection,

0:10:37.262,0:10:38.280
I would've thought,

0:10:38.280,0:10:40.332
well, it's because[br]the guy didn't trust me,

0:10:40.332,0:10:41.536
it's because I was crazy,

0:10:41.536,0:10:43.163
because I didn't dress up well --

0:10:43.163,0:10:44.160
I didn't look good.

0:10:44.160,0:10:45.197
It was none of those.

0:10:45.197,0:10:48.139
It was because what I offered[br]did not fit what he wanted.

0:10:48.139,0:10:50.532
And he trusted me enough[br]to offer me a referral --

0:10:50.532,0:10:51.936
using a sales term --

0:10:51.936,0:10:52.936
(Laughter)

0:10:52.936,0:10:54.505
I converted a referral.

0:10:54.779,0:10:55.779
Then one day --

0:10:55.779,0:10:58.959
and I also learned that I can[br]actually say certain things

0:10:58.959,0:11:01.024
and maximize my chance to get a yes.

0:11:01.024,0:11:02.024
So for example,

0:11:02.024,0:11:03.484
one day I went to a Starbucks,

0:11:03.484,0:11:04.674
and asked the manager,

0:11:04.674,0:11:06.846
"Hey, can I be a Starbucks greeter?"

0:11:06.846,0:11:08.902
He was like, "What's a Starbucks greeter?"

0:11:08.902,0:11:09.898
(Laughter)

0:11:09.898,0:11:11.962
I said, "Do you know[br]those Walmart greeters?

0:11:11.962,0:11:15.307
You know those people who say[br]'hi' to you before you walk in the store,

0:11:15.307,0:11:17.668
and make sure you[br]don't steal stuff, basically?

0:11:17.668,0:11:20.524
I want to give a Walmart experience[br]to Starbucks customers."

0:11:20.524,0:11:21.729
(Laughter)

0:11:21.729,0:11:24.529
Well, I'm not sure[br]that's a good thing, actually --

0:11:24.529,0:11:25.527
(Laughter)

0:11:25.708,0:11:27.771
Actually, I'm pretty sure[br]it's a bad thing.

0:11:27.771,0:11:28.771
(Laughter)

0:11:28.771,0:11:30.604
And he was like, "Oh" --

0:11:30.604,0:11:31.938
yeah, this is how he looked,

0:11:31.938,0:11:32.940
his name is Eric --

0:11:32.940,0:11:34.571
and he was like, "I'm not sure."

0:11:34.571,0:11:36.067
This is how he was hearing me.

0:11:36.067,0:11:37.068
"Not sure."

0:11:37.068,0:11:38.625
Then I ask him, "Is that weird?"

0:11:38.625,0:11:40.653
He's like, "Yeah, it's really weird, man."

0:11:40.653,0:11:41.651
(Laughter)

0:11:41.651,0:11:44.240
But as soon as he said that his[br]whole demeanor changed.

0:11:44.240,0:11:46.944
It's as if he's putting[br]all the doubt on the floor.

0:11:46.944,0:11:48.674
And he said, "Yeah, you can do this,

0:11:48.674,0:11:50.052
just don't get too weird."

0:11:50.052,0:11:51.045
(Laughter)

0:11:51.339,0:11:53.874
So for the next hour[br]I was the Starbucks greeter.

0:11:53.874,0:11:55.978
I said "hi" to every[br]customer that walked in,

0:11:55.978,0:11:57.840
and gave them holiday cheers.

0:11:58.221,0:11:59.224
By the way,

0:11:59.224,0:12:01.316
I don't know what[br]your career trajectory is,

0:12:01.316,0:12:02.321
don't be a greeter.

0:12:02.321,0:12:03.317
(Laughter)

0:12:03.317,0:12:04.603
It was really boring.

0:12:05.539,0:12:09.112
But then I found I could do this[br]because I mentioned,

0:12:09.112,0:12:10.440
"Is that weird?"

0:12:10.440,0:12:12.751
I mentioned the doubt that he was having.

0:12:12.751,0:12:16.212
And because I mentioned, "Is that weird?"[br]that means I wasn't weird.

0:12:16.212,0:12:18.756
That means I was actually[br]thinking just like him,

0:12:18.756,0:12:20.729
seeing this as a weird thing.

0:12:21.078,0:12:22.360
And again, and again,

0:12:22.360,0:12:25.544
I learned that if I mention[br]some doubt people might have

0:12:25.544,0:12:27.449
before I ask the question,

0:12:27.449,0:12:28.703
I gained their trust.

0:12:28.703,0:12:31.151
People were more likely to say yes to me.

0:12:31.151,0:12:34.366
And then I learned I could[br]fulfill my life dream ...

0:12:34.366,0:12:35.785
by asking.

0:12:36.124,0:12:39.020
I came from four generations of teachers,

0:12:39.020,0:12:41.879
and my grandma has always told me,

0:12:41.879,0:12:44.267
"Hey Jia, you can do anything you want,

0:12:44.267,0:12:46.370
but you'd be great if you[br]become a teacher."

0:12:46.370,0:12:47.373
(Laughter)

0:12:47.522,0:12:49.203
But I wanted to be an entrepreneur,

0:12:49.203,0:12:50.200
so I didn't.

0:12:50.200,0:12:53.270
But it has always been my dream[br]to actually teach something.

0:12:53.270,0:12:55.233
So I said, "What if I just ask,

0:12:55.233,0:12:57.294
and teach a college class?"

0:12:57.709,0:12:59.262
I lived in Austin at the time,

0:12:59.262,0:13:01.268
so I went to University[br]of Texas in Austin,

0:13:01.268,0:13:02.810
and knocked on professor's doors

0:13:02.810,0:13:04.493
and said, "Can I teach your class?"

0:13:04.493,0:13:07.000
Well, I didn't get anywhere[br]the first couple times.

0:13:07.000,0:13:08.304
But because I didn't run --

0:13:08.304,0:13:09.762
I kept doing it --

0:13:09.762,0:13:10.979
and on the third try,

0:13:10.979,0:13:13.077
the professor was very impressed.

0:13:13.077,0:13:15.104
He was like, "No one[br]has done this before."

0:13:15.104,0:13:19.062
And I came in prepared[br]with powerpoints and my lesson.

0:13:19.062,0:13:21.112
He said, "Wow, I can use this.

0:13:21.112,0:13:23.107
Why don't you come back in two months?

0:13:23.107,0:13:24.645
I'll fit you in my curriculum."

0:13:24.645,0:13:26.752
And two months later[br]I was teaching a class.

0:13:26.752,0:13:27.752
This is me --

0:13:27.752,0:13:28.888
you probably can't see,

0:13:28.888,0:13:29.964
this is a bad picture.

0:13:29.964,0:13:32.710
You know sometimes you get[br]rejected by lighting, you know?

0:13:32.710,0:13:33.712
(Laughter)

0:13:34.826,0:13:35.825
But wow --

0:13:35.825,0:13:37.564
when I finished teaching that class,

0:13:37.564,0:13:39.176
I walked out crying,

0:13:39.176,0:13:40.183
because --

0:13:40.183,0:13:41.181
I thought --

0:13:41.181,0:13:43.886
I could just fulfill my life dream[br]just by simply asking.

0:13:44.055,0:13:46.676
I used to think I have to accomplish[br]all these things --

0:13:46.676,0:13:48.217
have to be a great entrepreneur,

0:13:48.217,0:13:50.373
or get a PhD to teach --

0:13:50.373,0:13:51.959
but no, I just asked,

0:13:51.959,0:13:53.526
and I could teach.

0:13:53.526,0:13:54.641
And in that picture --

0:13:54.641,0:13:56.103
which you can't see --

0:13:56.103,0:13:59.272
I quoted Martin Luther King, Jr.

0:13:59.272,0:14:00.266
Why?

0:14:00.266,0:14:04.047
Because in my research I found[br]that people who really change the world,

0:14:04.047,0:14:07.065
who change the way we live[br]and the way we think,

0:14:07.065,0:14:11.075
are the people who were met[br]with initial and often violent rejections.

0:14:11.075,0:14:13.065
People like Martin Luther King, Jr.,

0:14:13.065,0:14:14.275
like Mahatma Ghandi,

0:14:14.275,0:14:15.343
Nelson Mandela,

0:14:15.343,0:14:16.712
or even Jesus Christ.

0:14:16.712,0:14:20.194
These people did not[br]let rejection define them.

0:14:20.194,0:14:24.507
They let their own reaction[br]after rejection define themselves.

0:14:25.194,0:14:27.634
And they embraced rejection.

0:14:27.634,0:14:30.925
And we don't have to be those people[br]to learn about rejection,

0:14:30.925,0:14:32.101
but in my case,

0:14:32.101,0:14:34.167
rejection was my curse --

0:14:34.167,0:14:35.549
was my boogeyman.

0:14:35.549,0:14:39.322
It has bothered me my whole life[br]because I was running away from it.

0:14:39.575,0:14:41.717
Then I started embracing it.

0:14:41.996,0:14:45.144
It turned out into[br]the biggest gift in my life.

0:14:45.549,0:14:50.023
I started teaching people how[br]to turn rejections into opportunities.

0:14:50.023,0:14:51.129
I use my blog,

0:14:51.129,0:14:52.243
I use my talk,

0:14:52.243,0:14:54.202
I use the book I just published,

0:14:54.202,0:14:59.119
and I'm even using technology to help[br]people overcome their fear of rejection.

0:15:00.436,0:15:02.175
When you get rejected in life,

0:15:02.175,0:15:04.614
when you are facing the next obstacle,

0:15:04.614,0:15:06.581
or next failure,

0:15:06.581,0:15:08.023
consider the possiblities.

0:15:08.284,0:15:09.457
Don't run.

0:15:09.457,0:15:10.875
If you just embrace them,

0:15:10.875,0:15:13.164
they might become your gifts as well.

0:15:13.356,0:15:14.363
Thank you.

0:15:14.363,0:15:16.102
(Applause)