Birds of a Feather, True Success, and the Importance of Staying for the Credits
10 Questions and a Dad Joke with Cornell Thomas
Thanks for reading The Nonlinear Life, a newsletter about navigating life's ups and downs. We're all going through transitions, let's master them together. Every Monday and Thursday we explore family, health, work, and meaning, with the occasional dad joke and dose of inspiration. If you're new around here, read my introductory post, learn about me, or check out our archives.
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I recently met one of the more inspiring figures I’ve come across in a while. Cornell Thomas was born in Passaic, New Jersey. His father was a police officer who died when Cornell was four; his mother was a dental assistant who raised five children on her own, including one with special needs. Concerned by their deteriorating neighborhood, she moved her family to a better town. Cornell struggled in school until, as a teenager, he found a picture of his cousin in the newspaper playing basketball. “At that moment, my whole entire life changed, like everything switched. I looked at that article and said, ‘Holy crap. My cousin is famous! I had no idea they put kids in the newspaper for sports.”
Suddenly he could be found on the hardcourt until late every night; he enrolled in Sussex County Community College to play ball, and he started practicing with a “bunch of NBA guys” who hung out at the nearby gym. They were impressed, introduced him to an agent, and Cornell got his first contract to play professional ball in Europe. Two weeks before he was scheduled to start, he was training and blew out his Achilles tendon. His career was over before it started.
“That injury helped lead me on the path I'm on now, which is helping others and motivating people all across the world. Few people find their purpose in life; most wander the earth trying to figure out why they're here. I love sharing my story and letting others know that adversity is something that happens; how you respond is what life is made of.”
I invited Cornell to participate in our occasional series, “Ten Questions and a Dad Joke with…”
Cornell Thomas: author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker.
1. What’s your favorite word and why?
Confidence: Because the word “con” is in it. And sometimes you have to con yourself into believing that you are great when you are not feeling it.
2. What’s your motto or an original saying that you live by?
You have to be willing to sacrifice what you like in order to get what you love.
3. What an old-fashioned saying that you wish never went out of style?
Birds of a feather flock together. It’s so important who you are around on a daily basis.
4. What’s a truism that you strongly believe is not true?
That there are limitations. There are limitations of the body, sure, but the mind only knows the limitations that you provide it.
5. What’s your definition of success?
Waking up and doing what you love, with the people you love, and hopefully causing some sort of positive ripple on the planet while you’re doing it. I think in the world we live in now so many people measure success by what’s in their bank account. There are plenty of billionaires that hate life, and the same amount of people that have nothing but love it. So success is defined by the individual, and that’s my definition of it.
6. What title would you give your memoir?
Cornell Thomas: Everything Happens for a Reason, Just Don’t Leave Before the Credits.
7. What would you like your epitaph to be?
“Just kidding, I’m totally alive, I just needed some rest.”
8. What phrase or saying would your family say you use too much?
Are you interested or committed? Most people talk about what they want without realizing what it takes to get it. When you are interested in a goal you will “try” to achieve it, when you are committed to a goal you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. From age 16-24 the game of basketball was the only thing that I wanted to do. Playing professional basketball was the goal, and I committed 150% to make sure it happened.
9. What song lyric picks you up when you’re feeling down?
“Don’t You Worry 'Bout a Thing” by Stevie Wonder
10. What poem can you recite by memory, and why?
Our minds are a garden, whatever you decide to plant in it will grow. If you plant seeds of negativity and doubt that’s what will sprout. But you can also plant the opposite. You can plant self-belief, happiness, and positivity. Our minds are our greatest weapon, they could be used for good or evil, so be careful which one you decide on.
11. What’s your worst dad joke?
What did the janitor say when he jumped out the closet? SUPPLIES!!!!!
☀
Thanks for reading The Nonlinear Life. Please help us grow the community by subscribing, sharing, and commenting below. Also, you can learn more about me, read my introductory post, or scroll through my other posts.
You might enjoy reading these posts:
Blueberries, Dark Chocolate, and Repairing the World
You're In An Autobiographical Occasion. Now What?
Or these books: Life Is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, Council of Dads.
Or contact me directly.
