A Fresh Start

As a boy growing up during the Depression, my father’s dream for me was that one day I’d have my own business. That was a big dream during hard times when my father lost his job and our family and so many others were scraping to make ends meet. It also was a big dream because I wasn’t achieving anything at a level that would warrant his confidence in me.

My parents were working hard and making sacrifices to send me to a Christian high school. I was doing just enough to earn passing grades – much to the disappointment of my parents, who then took me out of the Christian school and sent me to a public school to learn a trade as an electrician. I soon realized all I had lost by goofing off. I decided to return to Grand Rapids Christian High School and told my parents that I’d do odd jobs to earn the tuition. The second time around I was serious and earned better grades.

To this day I’m grateful for earning the privilege of attending a school that reinforced the lessons of faith, optimism and hard work that I was learning at home. When I decided to return to Grand Rapids Christian High School and pay my own tuition, it was the first time I ever made a decision with consequences. I realized that I would not have been happy as an electrician and that maybe my father’s dream for me could be a vision to guide my life.

At a high school assembly, a young man presented a program about setting goals. He said he had set 20 nearly impossible goals for his life. One was to travel around the world by the time he was 18 years old. Then he presented a slide show of his trip. That night, I started to write down goals and dreams for my life.

Just before I graduated, one of my teachers signed my yearbook, "To a clean-cut young man with talents for leadership in God’s Kingdom." Like my father, he sensed something in me that I never realized. I never forgot those words. I went on to become successful in business and encourage others to dream big and envision a brighter future.

Leaving public school and electrician training to go back to Christian High was a fresh start for me that changed my life forever. It changed the way I thought about myself as a student. My teacher helped a student who once was barely getting by to realize his talents for leadership. I started to become the person my father envisioned.

Christian High also is where I met Jay Van Andel, who became my lifelong friend and business partner. Putting yourself in the right environment is also very important.

We’re starting a new year. What better time for a fresh start? Being pegged a school goof-off or labeled with any other negative attribute doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Set your goals, dream big, and get going on your fresh start.

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Rich DeVos is vice-chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic.