He was born in a small farming village in Japan. His family was poor. They all lived in a small house with very little money. When he was only 9 years old, he left school and started working in a small shop to support his family. He used to get up every day before sunrise, clean the store, run errands and then look after the children’s office employer. Some years later, Destiny showed him a new path. He got a job in an electricity company. There, he got interested in light bulbs and sockets. Every night, he started learning and experimenting on his own. One day, he made an improved version of a light socket all by himself.
He got very excited and showed it to his boss. But his boss was not impressed and said, such a product will never work. Even though he was rejected, he believed in his idea. He wanted to do something on his own, start his own company. He asked his friends.
They told him he cannot do it. He cannot leave his permanent job and start his own company. He has no experience, very little money and hardly any education. Still, he believed in himself. So when he turned 22, he took a big decision. He left his table job and started his own small manufacturing company.
He and his wife started manufacturing sockets in their small house. They both went door to door, selling it. But no shop owner was interested. They did not get any orders. Months passed by and still they were not able to sell their product. He sold his furniture, borrowed money to survive a little longer. Many days, he thought, I will give up and go back to my job. But in the morning, as the sun rose, he was out on the streets looking for orders, surviving for one more day. Then came a time he was almost bankrupt.
And just when he was closest to giving up his dream, that’s when a miracle happened in his life. Out of nowhere, he got his first major order of 1000 pieces. Now, 100 years after that, first major order of 1000 pieces, his company now has over 250,000 employees, with annual sales of $65 billion. His company products are now sold across the world. All this was made possible by a man, with no education and no money. All he had was a belief in himself.
His name is Koniske Matsusita. The company he started in his small house is now known across the world as Panasonic. Success is not dependent on how educated you are or how much money you have. Success is about believing in yourself. So, if you are also in pursuit of success, just believe in yourself when no one else does. Survive when other people give up. And just wait for that one miracle that will change your life forever.
Thanks for listening to this story.