The Art of the Hustle 2 (Complete)

Chapter Forty

Even up until the day of the speech, Trevor wasn't sure if he would actually go through with it or not. It would be his first public speaking engagement since the accident.

He had prepared the speech with Ashley so he was worried that at some point he would be consumed with emotion and breakdown in front of everyone. Nevertheless, each day that passed was one day closer to the event and he never called to cancel. In the weeks and days leading up to the engagement, the university made several calls to Trevor's assistant, Tami, to ensure he was still game for it.

On the day of the event, Trevor showed up with Tami and Deon. They waited backstage in the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts located on the UBC campus.

Trevor was unusually nervous. He had given countless speeches and public addresses before, but something about being at his alma mater gave him butterflies. Surely there would be his past instructors there watching him. Evidently, even after achieving meteoric success, his insecurities about not being good enough were still deeply imbedded in his psyche.

Deon was there live streaming the entire event to Trevor's fans.

A host took to the stage and informed the crowd of what they were about to see. She gave a praiseful introduction of Trevor's background and accomplishments, but everyone in attendance already knew who he was.

"Without further ado, please put your hands together for UBC alum, Trevor Morrison!"

With a bottled water in his hand, Trevor walked out on stage and was greeted with a standing ovation. The roars from the crowd were deafening. He smiled and waved as he took centre stage. He unscrewed the cap and took a drink of water before setting it down by his feet. Now staring at the crowd, Trevor stood there until the applause died down.

With the auditorium now quiet and eagerly awaiting his speech, Trevor didn't say a word. He continued to stand in silence, looking down as if he was in deep thought. A few seconds went by and people started shifting in their seats, growing increasingly more uncomfortable with each passing second. They wondered what was happening and questioned whether Trevor was choking under pressure or experiencing paralyzing stage fright. Murmurs rippled through the auditorium and filled the air with an audible whisper.

Eventually, he approached the mic and opened up with a general statement. "Thank you for the warm ovation," he began. After briefly looking up to acknowledge the crowd, he put his head down again.

Silence.

Trevor began to pace back and forth as if he was pondering the mysteries of the universe. This went on for another half a minute or so and was way past the point of being awkward. Then he spoke again.

"As I stand here before you all, I had an epiphany. I had a speech that I had prepared. I came here to talk to you all about hustle, working hard, and the power of persistence. I hoped you would gain insight into my methods and how I do business, and perhaps some of my thinking and methodologies could carry over into some of your lives as well."

He paused again, pacing from one end of the stage, then to the other.

"However, I think I will change the format a bit and deviate from the plan, and in doing so, it will provide you with insight into my method. Always be prepared, but if you get up to the line of scrimmage so-to-speak and feel what you had prepared is no longer the right play, it's never too late to call an audible. Instead, I want to talk about signs. I don't have anything prepared so I will just speak freely and see where it takes us. If there is time at the end, you can ask me questions. Sound good?"

In unison, the entire audience spoke in the affirmative.

"Okay, perfect. "So, I'm a firm believer in destiny, or fate. They mean more or less the same thing, but technically they are slightly different. Fatalism is the idea that your life is destined, or planned out to some capacity, but we are still free to make certain choices. If our life is planned out, then naturally we would want to know two things: who planned it, and what is the plan?

"As some of you may know, I suffered a devastating tragedy in my life recently. For those who don't know, I lost someone who was very close to me, my wife Ashley. With this event that happened lies a good lesson about how I think about life, which may be what has contributed to some of my success.

"I don't fight currents. I grab the back of my knees, lift my legs, and float downstream. Sometimes there are obstacles in the way, but I move with the flow of the water. Wherever that may take me. Sometimes it can lead to running one of the biggest companies in the world, sometimes it can mean losing a loved one, but the lesson is that we have to accept what fate gives us. And the reason is simple. Every one of us in this room has different goals. Some of you want to start a business, some of you want to work for a business, some of you want to teach, or help people. But the one thing we all have in common is a desire and a pursuit to find happiness.

"You hear this all the time and I have even said it before in interviews — money does not buy happiness. Trust me. Sure, money can make your life a little more comfortable, relieve some stress, give you more opportunities, but it can come at a cost. The key is to find balance in your life. Enjoy what you do. And perhaps most importantly is to have a particular mindset to not get too attached to material possessions, accomplishments, or the accolades of others. True happiness comes from within.

"Our time on this planet is short, so make the most of it."

The impromptu speech continued for over an hour. Trevor meandered back and forth, discussing topics of kindness, giving more than you take, and building meaningful relationships. He even told funny anecdotes from his life and truly seemed to be in his element. For the first time in many months, he seemed happy.

When Trevor was done, the audience once again gave him a standing ovation. Trevor's posture and demeanour suddenly changed. He stood tall and confident like his old self. Unbeknownst to him, giving this speech was therapeutic. After standing in the warm ovation and bowing to the crowd, he looked up as if Ashley were looking down upon him and he smiled.

The host walked on stage and riled the crowd up for one more round of applause. When the noise settled, she said. "That was wonderful, Trevor. I think we will all walk away today with something of value whether it's feeling inspired, having a new perspective, or learning something new. So on behalf of the Sauder School of Business at UBC, we thank you."