Drive to Passion

By Ted Obomanu

The methods of attaining great heights are frequently discussed, with many postulations propounded by pundits and individuals of phenomenal accomplishments, yet reaching the pinnacle of such heights remains ever so elusive to the masses; hence, only a select few are able to make these extraordinary strides.
In Drive to Passion, Ted Obomanu chronicles the lives of a few highly accomplished individuals:
Harland Sanders, a perfectionist, who was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC);
Winston Churchill, the vivacious and popular prime minister of Britain, who led his country to victory during the Second World War;
Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, business mogul, and kingmaker;
Sidney Poitier, acclaimed actor and the first African-American movie star to receive an Oscar in a leading role;
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of the United States, responsible for the abolition of slavery;
Suze Orman, financial guru and popular TV host who epitomizes passion;
Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, who accomplished this unprecedented feat despite its improbability;
Oprah Winfrey, owner of a TV network, one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world, and was the host and producer of one of the most popular TV shows ever.
Obomanu does this to explore firsthand how these individuals were able to reach the summit of their vocations. He also turns the chronicling of these great individuals lives into an intriguing narrative, without compromising the lessons.
Obomanu makes significant findings in this book: Passion more than anything else is responsible for success and greatness, which is self-evident in the lives of the great individuals he chronicles; to attain distinction, the quest for passion should always be centered around a niche; passion is fueled by drive, and a shift in focus from passion to the rewards of accomplishments, such as wealth, may potentially derail the attainment of success and greatness; mentors play a huge role in the accomplishment of our goals.
At the conclusion of this great reading, Obomanu delves into how spirituality and personal development can greatly enhance the quest for passion and how the pursuit of passion can trigger happiness and longevity. He sums up by asserting that the aspiration of success and greatness should be driven by all the components of passion to ensure its sustainability and potential value to society.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467041072

Ted Obomanu

Ted Obomanu received an MBA from Marshall University, where he was recognized with the Distinguished Graduate Student Alumnus Award in 2004. He went from a stint in corporate America to a life of entrepreneurship in Durham, North Carolina. In 2001, his company was ranked as number thirty on the list of the fifty fastest growing companies in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, USA.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

Illustration

Acknowledgements

About Author

Notes

INTRODUCTION

I began writing this book with the aim of delving into a distinctive subject that would be valuable and enjoyable for readers. I had an idea of approaching personal development from a new angle—something fresh that would give readers a new perspective in this area and a new way of looking at things. An autobiography or a fictional book was out of the question. I had written my first book, an autobiographical fiction, in the early nineties and had lost all two hundred and fifty pages of it on my first laptop. In addition to this predicament, I had begun to harbor the notion that autobiographies were for those with accomplishments of epic proportions or those with things about their lives that would be significant or noteworthy or profound to their readers. So as I wrote and simultaneously prodded my thoughts on how to create a valuable reading experience for my readers, it occurred to me to explore the lives of highly successful individuals. I became convinced that there were manifestations of certain aspects of their lives that could be prototypical or shed some light on a new perspective of significance regarding their approach to success and greatness. As an ardent student of personal development, and having read countless autobiographies and biographies, I decided that an eclectic analysis of these subjects would be a worthwhile undertaking.

Numerous books have been written about success, greatness, and their rewards. However, I felt there was still more that could be learned directly from individuals of great accomplishment by looking at their lives and exploring the intricacies of how they conducted their activities in parity with their needs, ambitions, and principles in order to attain great heights. I also wanted to see if there would be an opportunity to demystify some of the myths about the quest for success.

Some of the popular assertions and advice promulgated by self-improvement gurus, as well as various accomplished individuals, have been around for quite some time. These individuals have contended that the key elements of success and greatness include the following: self-confidence, tenacity, a relentless work ethic, persistence, assertiveness, and risk taking. These are all key ingredients in any plan to make enormous strides in life. Yet, some of us who are tenacious in our endeavors and are hardworking have still not achieved any remarkable level of success; hence, some of these theories are at times still tantamount to myths, or they have left us scratching our heads and wondering what we are missing. So I felt that there is still a lot to learn about success—as there is about most things in life.

* * *

I also approached this book from an introspective point of view, by looking at myself and trying to decipher the lessons I have learned from being an entrepreneur. When I left my sales position in corporate America for entrepreneurial pursuits, I had no doubt that I wanted to take this bold step. The staffing industry was the outcome of the questions I had asked myself. I asked myself if I had the capability of making business-to-business sales calls; I detested selling to individuals, and I did not want to be involved in any endeavor that entailed such sales calls. Next, I asked myself if the initial cash outlay would be minimal because I did not have a lot of cash. I also asked myself if I had any transferrable business skill that I could utilize in this new venture; I had some skills in marketing, sales, and customer service.

Once I embarked on my quest as an entrepreneur, the task was arduous and I had my moments of doubt and episodes when I almost gave up. I underwent an experiential learning process that was different from anything I had learned in corporate America or through the study of other business models in school or from a business plan. I was taken by surprise by my indirect expenses and some uncontrollable variables. However, I stuck to my guns and made it work.

Upon my initial foray into the world of entrepreneurship, I knew little to nothing about the pursuit of a passion, and I had not given much thought to success and its trappings; I just wanted to make headway in business. I knew that I enjoyed the work immensely. I was also absolutely riveted by the new venture, finding ways to outperform my competitors, and offering exceptional customer service to my clients.

Once I had surmounted the initial hurdles, my company’s sales increased, along with my desire to become a serial entrepreneur. Within four years, my company’s revenue was right at $4.5 million. Following this, I delved into the restaurant and real estate industries.

This abbreviated chronicle of the progression of my primary business is by no means an indication of how quickly a business can ascend into prominence; it is merely a way to show how we can make success out of an activity we enjoy. After all, there have been countless businesses that have achieved unprecedented successes within four to five years with revenues in excess of $100 million.

As I explored the lives of the individuals whom I featured in this book, an interesting phenomenon began to unravel: They were passionate about their undertakings, something I had inadvertently mirrored in my entrepreneurial quests. In addition, I discovered that these individuals possessed a few other qualities that would be endearing to my readers—qualities that could potentially elucidate the true path to success and greatness. The enjoyment of my entrepreneurial endeavors had been evidenced by my success and my excitement about owning a business. However, I failed to recognize all the ramifications of drive and passion in the achievement and sustainability of success. For all intents and purposes, the individuals featured in this book may have been in the same predicament—being driven to do the right things to achieve and sustain the pinnacle of success and greatness without the awareness of all the factors responsible for their success. In addition to discovering the unique qualities of these great individuals, I also discovered another true passion of mine: writing.

The relativity of success and greatness, and the link between personal development, spirituality, and passion also became of interest to me, although they are not the focus of this book. There are societal and individual parameters for defining success and greatness. As we continue in our quest for success and greatness, could they, inexorably, be linked to happiness and spiritual fulfillment? Could there be an intertwining of success, greatness, religion, spiritual fulfillment, and personal development? Better yet, could there be a convergence of all these factors? Through the lives of the successful individuals featured in this book, we can examine what they have done right to see if there are any consistencies we can incorporate into our own lives. As imperfect as these individuals may be or may have been, there are lessons we can learn from their lives.

Accomplishments are deemed important in society—thus, the nations of the world and their people are grouped by their economic power and achievements. We humans are defined by our vocations, incomes, successes, and the strides we make in life, individually and collectively. The world is defined by the successes of its inhabitants. The industrialized nations or the group of twenty (the G-20), developing nations, and emerging markets are all categorized by their gross domestic product (GDP). It is a given that this categorization is ultimately linked to success and advancement in the world—the achievements of the various nations and their citizens. These accomplishments are instrumental in the improvement of the quality of life for mankind and in making a difference in the world.

What is the relationship between passion and the enjoyment of what we do? Could this hold the key to success and greatness? How can we sustain our passion? How does our drive factor into this equation? According to Forbes, 87 percent of Americans do not like their jobs. How do we go about identifying an activity that we enjoy? Where would we be as a nation if more people were to take delight in their jobs?

All of the individuals featured in this book achieved great success and fame by U.S. and world standards. What do they all have in common? What can they teach us that we have not been able to learn from success and achievement pundits? Obviously, there are factors to be learned that can enhance the number of highly accomplished individuals in the world; things that can be learned about ways of embarking on the pursuit of our goals in an adept manner that will provide substantial results, which will increase the number of accomplished individuals—impacting the world positively.

What if more people in the world were to become more passionate about their vocations? Would that give rise to the enhancement of the quality of life for all mankind? An increase in the pursuit of our passion will lead to more innovations in the world. More innovations and increased efficiencies in the world will make a difference in the lives of all humans.

Naturally, we all have diverse aptitudes in varied activities, different niches, drives, opportunities, passions, circumstances, interests, and numerous other attributes. The path to greatness and success depends, to a large degree, on how well we are able to develop and harness all of these elements through our thinking, dedication, and the pursuit of our passion to make something of ourselves.

One advantage of studying the lives of luminaries is that certain aspects of their lives are prototypical; these individuals are comparable to pioneers in education, inventors, and discoverers. They have established great models that are discernible and emblematic by virtue of the portrayal of their lives. We can pattern ourselves in our quests after some of these experiential models, for more effective results.

As depicted in the lives of the highly accomplished individuals featured in this book, the acquisition of our drive and subsequent pursuit of our passion will enable us to not only enhance the quality of life for humans, but also to achieve phenomenal success. The individuals featured in this book led interesting and exemplary lives with respect to going from drive to passion and becoming highly accomplished. By examining their lives, we can learn how to acquire our drive and pursue our passion.

* * *

Early man had to contend with sticks, stones, earth, water, and other bare necessities of life, but the world has made tremendous strides since then. Looking around today, I marvel at the advancement around me with humility and gratitude. Futurists contend that we as humans are still in the infancy of our development, so one can only imagine what advances will be made in the future. As long as we continue to shed light on the correct ways of going about the quest for success and greatness, many more achievements will be made in the world at breakneck speed. Making strides in life should be a perpetual process that we owe ourselves and our society.

CHAPTER 1

Colonel Harland Sanders: Greatness After Sixty-Five

Although it is imperative that we should be mentally and physically capable of embarking on any project, old age has minimal impact on the pursuit of our passion and the achievement of success and greatness. This is evidenced by Colonel Harland Sanders and a host of others who found success in their sixties. Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), did so at the age of sixty-five. If we think we are too old to pursue our passion, we should look around us at all the people who made great accomplishments in their fifties and sixties.

* * *

Harland Sanders was born in 1890, and at the tender age of six, he was burdened with the responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings; his mother had to go to work, so she taught him how to cook a variety of dishes, including fried chicken. She worked in a shirt factory to support the family. Sanders took care of the domestic work, cooking for his siblings and watching them. His father, who had labored in the coal mines of Kentucky, had just died.

The cooking skills that Sanders acquired from his mother would remain with him for the rest of his life and would prompt his foray into the restaurant industry. Although Sanders did not start off working in a restaurant, over the years he modified his fried chicken recipe, and it orchestrated a drive in him to make something of this recipe—which would take him to unprecedented heights.

Sanders held several jobs, including his endeavors as a street car conductor and a railroad fireman. While working with the railroad, Sanders took a correspondence course in law. He eventually became a lawyer and practiced law in Little Rock, Arkansas. He brought his law career to a screeching halt when he got involved in a scuffle with one of his clients in a courtroom.

Later, as Sanders got older, he opened a service station, where he also operated a small eatery for customers. The more he exhibited his great cooking skills, the more his business grew. He eventually expanded into a restaurant next to the service station. His specialty was fried chicken, which included other Southern dishes such as vegetables and biscuits. His restaurant grew into a 142-seat establishment. To sharpen his skills in restaurant management, Sanders took an eight-week course in restaurant management at Cornell University.

For Sanders, the acquisition of knowledge in the area pertaining to his passion was instrumental in propelling him to great heights. Other individuals featured in this book, as depicted in subsequent chapters, mirror Sanders in embarking on avid quests for education in the activities encompassing their passion.

As great as a higher education may be—with respect to enabling us to increase our level of information, polish, flexibility, and learning capacity—the amount of effort that we put into education, preparation, and practice in those activities relating to our passion will contribute immensely toward our success and greatness in our chosen field. This is evidenced not only by the personalities featured in this book, but also by American technology titans such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, and Mark Zuckerberg. All were college dropouts who went on to achieve greatness by founding multibillion-dollar technology companies. These individuals were able to attain great heights through preparation, practice, and education in their chosen activities.

Following his course at Cornell and the growing success of his 142-seat restaurant, Sanders became a burgeoning force in the restaurant industry. His popularity and skill in the industry earned him the honorary title of Colonel from the governor of Kentucky, an honor that was bestowed upon him again by the lieutenant governor of the same state. Following this recognition, he began dressing in a white suit with a black string tie and black shoes, carrying a cane, and wearing a white goatee and mustache, portraying the image of a Southern gentleman.

Sanders’ budding success came to an abrupt end when the construction of a new highway diverted traffic from his restaurant. As a result of this, his business dwindled and eventually failed. So he retired at the age of sixty-five and proceeded to collect Social Security.

Sanders decided to come out of retirement after collecting his first monthly check of $105. He was sixty-five years old and completely broke. His decision to come out of retirement is commendable. He was deterred neither by age nor by failure. Sixty-five is an age when most people generally throw in the towel and opt for an easier life: lounging, playing golf, or doing something that requires minimal mental or physical exertion. Sanders proved that the paradigm of being undeterred by failure or advanced age is a good one.

Sanders was confident in himself. He had learned valuable lessons from his failure. Still passionate about cooking, he believed that he could be successful at operating another restaurant. Armed with his passion and driven by the need to make something of his fried chicken recipe, Sanders went from place to place trying to sell it, and at the same time he sold chicken cooked with his pressure cooker out of his car. He decided to take full advantage of his fame and cooking skills by convincing some people he knew to invest in his fried chicken recipe. He encountered obstacles; they rejected his idea. His persistent efforts finally paid off when he found a couple who embraced his concept and was willing to invest in it. That was the advent of the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, or KFC, as we know it today. From then on, he built and franchised his restaurants.

Sanders often paid surprise visits to his restaurants and scolded employees for not doing things correctly. He was a perfectionist. He was also fastidious about cleanliness and all other aspects of the business. Perhaps in Sanders’ time, the chastising of employees was not looked upon with the same amount of disdain as it is today; however, the fact still remains that in any given era, the scolding of one’s employees would not have been looked upon in a positive light. Colonel Sanders was definitely not without his faults. But in spite of his weaknesses, he was a tenacious and resilient individual. He was also passionate about his endeavors.

When Sanders sold his stake in his KFC restaurants for $2 million in 1964 to John Y. Brown and his group of investors, little did he know KFC would change ownership a few times and become a behemoth. Twenty years later, in 1984, R.J. Reynolds Industries sold the company to PepsiCo for $840 million. KFC is currently owned by Yum! Brands, Inc, a spinoff from PepsiCo. Yum! Brands operates several franchises including Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. More than two billion dinners of Sanders’ fried chicken are now sold annually in over eighty countries. According to Encyclopedia.com’s article, KFC Corporation, as of 2007, KFC made $520.3 million in sales and had 11,000 locations in 80 countries, with 5,300 domestic restaurants. The company’s sales peaked at $4.8 billion in 2002. KFC has been plagued by problems pertaining to the unhealthiness of fried foods.

* * *

Although Sanders met with many failures and challenges, he had some remarkable successes in his imperfect yet extraordinary life. He started a few businesses that he eventually closed for one reason or another. Success did not come easily for him, but he was persistent and resilient. Sanders had a difficult time convincing other restaurateurs to stock and cook with his secret recipe. Also, he tried his hand at many careers and professions, including law and sales. He continued and did not give up until he arrived at his real love and passion—cooking fried chicken with his secret recipe. This led to his tremendous achievement: the advent of KFC.

Sometimes, we can easily recognize our passion; at other times, it is not so easy. We all need jobs to make an income, but to make achievements of significance that would mirror Sanders’, we should ultimately choose the endeavor we enjoy the most. If that endeavor is not immediately apparent then, similar to Sanders, we should go the trial and error route until we can truly identify what we enjoy doing. People who are close to us can also be instrumental in helping us identify areas that could potentially be our niche. This, invariably, could be where our passion lies. As the Greek philosopher Socrates said when giving a young man advice about passion, the endeavor we want as much as we want the air we breathe is our passion.

Another basic component of success and greatness is the commitment of time, energy, and patience in finding that passion. Since our passion does not always manifest itself readily, time, energy, and patience are vital ingredients for us as we search for our passion. In some cases, for instance, a child may know at age five that she wants to be a neurosurgeon, and she goes on to do just that; this, however, is rare. Identifying our passion is often not that simple. Thomas J. Perkins, a Silicon Valley billionaire and venture capitalist, said in a 60 Minutes television interview that he tried his hand at ten different ventures and only two of those ventures were successful—the two that elicited his passion.

Some important elements in Sanders’ remarkable life were that he was undeterred by age and was driven to go on the quest for his passion. We should be undeterred by age unless we are underage or our vocation involves activities that are too physically demanding for people in our age group. Sanders was driven by some factors: Initially, he grew up in poverty, and he was driven to elevate himself through the pursuit of cooking, with the recipe he had obtained from his mother; later on, he set out to make something of his recipe.

Sanders identified his passion for cooking fried chicken and Southern dishes. How do we recognize our passion when we find it? If we enjoy an activity so much that we are willing to work without immediate financial rewards while in pursuit of that endeavor—this is a good indication that we have found our passion. If we have a niche in that activity, then there is definitely something to build on. If we pursue an endeavor with conviction, it is also a sign that we may have found our passion. In his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John C. Maxwell contended that John Schnatter of Papa John’s Pizza lives and breathes pizza. And he enjoys it so much that he is always in the thick of things. Of course, our passion should be a value-added activity—something that would add value to or enhance people’s lives.

How do we acquire passion similar to Sanders’? Can we learn to be passionate and driven? Certainly, we can learn to be passionate and driven. Once we have identified a cogent reason for desiring success, the next step entails identifying a passion that can bring our desire to fruition. Everyone has a niche or a calling, which we need to identify, in order to pursue our passion. Our success depends on ensuring that there is a correlation between our niche and passion. It also depends on fervently pursuing that passion. Of course, some of the key factors that are orchestrated by passion—customized education, preparation, enjoyment of the activity, courage, resilience, tenacity, confidence, and ability to take risks—have to be present to ensure the successful pursuit of our passion.

CHAPTER 2

Winston Churchill: A Glow-Worm

Winston Churchill’s childhood was mired by his inconsistent performance in school and a distant relationship with his parents. He came in at the bottom of his class a few times, and at other times, he did well. In general, he struggled with some subjects such as Latin and mathematics, and excelled in history and English literature. Despite Churchill’s troubled beginnings, including his less than stellar performance in school, he rose to become one of the world’s greatest leaders and an intellectual powerhouse who was driven to write volumes of books and to win the Nobel Prize in Literature—thus making unprecedented accomplishments through the successful pursuit of his passion.

The care of Churchill and his younger brother, Jack, was relegated to a nanny, Mrs. Everest. At that time in Britain, it was not uncommon for people of considerable social status, of the caliber of Churchill’s parents, to surround themselves with servants and nannies. Churchill’s nanny practically raised him. Most of the time, his parents were too busy with social engagements and travels to really concern themselves with the intricate details of child rearing.

Churchill’s impetuous behavior contributed to the distance between him and his mother. According to Martin Gilbert in his biography of Churchill, Churchill: A Life, once, upon returning to his Brighton boarding school after a brief holiday with his parents, he wrote back to his mother saying, You must be happy without me, no screams from Jack or complaints. It must be heaven on earth. Despite the distance between them, Churchill loved his mother dearly.

While in boarding school, young Churchill communicated with his parents through letters. In most of his letters to his parents, he craved their ever-so-elusive attention, especially his father’s. When Churchill’s father, Lord Randolph, once visited the town of Brighton on official business without stopping to see him, young Churchill was sad after he read about his father’s visit in the local newspapers. According to Gilbert, he wrote his father saying, I cannot think why you did not come to see me while you were in Brighton. I was disappointed but I suppose you were too busy to come. Despite the distance between him and his father, Churchill revered him and decided to follow in his footsteps by going into politics. He followed his father’s political career through the newspapers.

As much as Churchill revered his father, he was also cognizant of his mistakes. Lord Randolph was a minister—a cabinet position in the British government. The elder Churchill was terminated from his job as a minister due to problems that ensued from a bad decision he made while in office. Churchill would later forge a closer relationship with his own children than he had with his father because he did not want them to go through the experiences he had as a child.

Upon completion of high school, Churchill, at the persuasion of his father, opted for a military career. Lord Randolph was convinced that his son was academically ill-prepared to attend a university. The Sandhurst Military Academy, which prepared young men for a career in the infantry, was Churchill’s last option. He lacked proficiency in mathematics, which was the prerequisite for a career in the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. Churchill passed the entrance exam to Sandhurst Military Academy on his third try.

Already, Churchill’s early years were riddled with disappointments and failures. He craved the love of his parents, which he did not get. His behavior was deemed wanting by both parents. Although he had a flair for English and history, he was anything but academically gifted; hence, it took him three attempts on the entrance exam to gain admission to Sandhurst. In spite of these failures and disappointments, Churchill would later in life show the mark of a great individual and the resilience it would take to reach great heights.

The discipline at Sandhurst Military Academy was good for Churchill. While there, his father’s health, unbeknownst to young Churchill, began to deteriorate. He wrote letters to his father about his progress. Churchill’s father often responded with letters decrying his conduct. Churchill did not let his father’s denigrating letters foster a sense of inadequacy in him. Rather, as he indicated in his letters to his mother, he resolved to do better and to make something of himself at Sandhurst.

Unaware of his father’s malady, syphilis, and his continuing deterioration, both physically and mentally, Churchill continued to write letters to Lord Randolph, assuring him he would do better. The replies from his father, due to his poor health, were sporadic, sometimes confused and incoherent because he was also mentally incapacitated and disoriented. Despite his father’s nasty letters, Churchill continued to idolize him. His father died a few months prior to his commission as a second lieutenant.

Churchill was now driven by the memory of his father, and he was prepared to prove that he was not the tepid young man his father had made him out to be. This served as one of Churchill’s drives, responsible for impelling him to greatness. Resolving to make something of ourselves in order to prove a point to others, or even to prove them wrong, is pervasive among success-oriented people. This drive stems from the avoidance of negative perceptions that others might have of us; it is characteristic of the drive that spurs passions and eventually propels many individuals to greatness. Churchill was determined to prove to the memory of his father that he could make something of himself. It is crucial that we acquire a strong driving force that will impel our achievements.

Churchill graduated close to the top of his class at Sandhurst Military Academy—twentieth in a class of 130 graduates. He did not receive a four-year college degree upon graduating from Sandhurst because it was not a full-fledged college. It was a military academy that prepared individuals to become officers in the British military after two years of study.

Once Churchill received his commission as a second lieutenant, it immediately became obvious to him that his education in the military was narrow in its scope. He had a thirst for more knowledge; thus he indicated to his mother that his life in the military was not sufficiently intellectually stimulating to him. He further said he had read and practically memorized all of his father’s speeches in an effort to improve himself. He was despondent and unfulfilled at that point. He also indicated to his mother that if he knew with certainty he would be stationed in London, he would seek the help of a tutor to help him with the study of economics or modern history.

What Churchill needed was a mentor who would point him in the right direction in his intellectual pursuits. He would become adept in seeking mentors. Churchill would also utilize his mother both as a mentor and a bridge between him and other potential mentors, who would become instrumental in facilitating the accomplishment of his goals.

Churchill sought the advice of Bourke Cockran, a friend and an activist, in trying to determine how he should proceed with his studies. Having noticed his fascination for reading and his quest for knowledge, Cockran encouraged Churchill to study sociology and political economy, contending that he saw in the young officer a curiosity and a zest for life that was unprecedented and could only lead to a promising future in politics.

Thus Churchill, with the help of his new mentor Cockran, was able to set about educating himself in the activities encompassing his passion. Churchill was already driven and motivated to become educated. He had a drive that stemmed from his need to make something of himself and to dispel any notion that anyone, including his mother, may have harbored to the contrary.

Churchill’s readings up to that point had been fragmented; however, all of that would change once he embarked on a more organized syllabus, in an effort to become erudite and successful. It was as if he had become a student—he studied with an undying appetite, reading far and wide in the fields of politics, economics, and history. He craved the kind of sophistication and refinement that came with an Oxford or a Cambridge education. Ironically, this type of polish, which Churchill so ardently sought, would elude him for the rest of his life; hence, at the peak of his political career, a critic would characterize him as being uncouth and pompous. This goes to show that as accomplished as we may be in life, some of our aspirations may still remain elusive. Churchill’s zest for knowledge in the area of his passion contributed toward the many accomplishments he would make.

At the age of twenty-one, Churchill decided to go to New York and Cuba. It would be his first trip across the Atlantic. While in New York, Churchill observed that there was a marked difference between New York and London. The pomp and pageantry associated with protocol and class that was the order of the day in London was absent in New York. In a letter to his brother, Churchill told him that everything was pragmatic in America—there was even an absence of the wearing of wigs and robes in court.

Following his trip to the U.S., Churchill continued to pursue his aspirations. His drives were discernible, and they fueled his passion. His inclination toward politics would culminate in a passion for it. He enjoyed writing, literature, and history. While in the military, Churchill pursued another passion of his, journalism. He also wrote great speeches. He, in essence, became an eloquent orator. Neither Churchill’s inheritance from his father nor his salary from the military was enough to support his lavish lifestyle. He became driven by extravagance and the desire to become wealthy and famous, and these drives would contribute to fueling his passion in writing and journalism.

* * *

Churchill was assigned to India on a military mission. Prior to his departure, he begged his mother to exert her influence on some of the prominent people she knew in government to enable him to experience some combat in the Matabele War in South Africa. He wanted to make his mark on the battlefield in order to be decorated with medals of valor. Churchill was prudent enough to realize that a distinguished career in the military would enhance his political ambitions. He also asked his mother to convince one of the British newspapers to hire him as a war correspondent. Upon his arrival in India, Churchill found his assignment to be boring. He was surrounded by too many servants and did not have enough to do. He