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Key Takeaways After being diagnosed with a brain tumor at 25, my life changed completely. I had surgery and took my renewed chance at life to turn it into the exact one I wanted.
Success is not an overnight phenomenon. It requires rigorous discipline and sacrifice.
Some of the hallmarks of a successful entrepreneur include the ability to self-actualize through rigorous study, continuous learning, relentless tenacity and the resilience to rebound after setbacks.
I know this firsthand. At 25, my goals were set in stone. I knew what I wanted: a career in architecture. At the time, I was enrolled in UCLA’s master’s program in architecture, studying and working on projects nonstop, setting the bar as high as I could. The renowned Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne was my mentor. I was at the top of my game.
Then, overnight, I received the blow of a lifetime: I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that required immediate surgical intervention. When I awoke, staring at the cold, clinical hospital ceiling, I had 150 stitches on the side of my head and was unable to move. However, I was able to discern two searing sentences of a conversation between my mother and the surgeon.
“What have you done to my son?” My mother railed at the doctor.
“I have given him 50 more years of life,” the doctor replied decisively.
From that moment on, I knew I had to make that 50-year gift count. After taking half a year off from my studies, I returned to class with renewed zeal — and mounds of debt. Despite the appearance of gradual recovery, I had a long road ahead.
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