I Was Bullied and that Was a Mistake: How Tough Moments Create Amazing Motivation

Have you seen the Burger King bully video? It’s quite powerful.

In it, Burger King hired actors to showcase two actions:

• A high school Jr. being bullied.
• A Whopper Jr. being bullied.

The question became: Who would people stand up for/to more?

The answer: The Whopper Jr.

People were more than willing to complain about their burger showing up mangled. Very few, however, were willing to step up and stick up for the high school Jr. being bullied.

It’s a powerful message.

I too have been bullied. I am not talking about high school (which I was). I am talking about today. Many who read my column know exactly what I am talking about.

There are two questions that come to mind with my bullying experience:

• Who is willing to stand up and interject when the bullies attack?
• Do I really want protection?

In an upcoming book (to be published next spring – more on that in future columns), I address my theory of fuel. It is created from painful moments. It ends up being a strong component of your foundation for creating something great.

When bulling happens to me today, I feel bad for those doing it. For two reasons:

• It lessens them as human beings. It is a flawed characteristic.
• I am even more motivated. It doesn’t deflate me in the least bit.

I have spoken with many who have gone through similar situations – where they faced a down moment. In many of those situations, they got right back up and were motivated to be stronger.

Michael Jordan was cut from the high school basketball team. Then what happened?

Two takeaways from this column:

• Don’t be afraid to stand up to bullies. Even though they appear to be aggressive and connected, they are not. They are flawed humans.
• If you are bullied, use it as fuel. Don’t ever let someone else dictate YOUR path in life. It is YOUR life – you own the process.