Today I want to share part of a conversation I’ve been having with Stephen Hopson.  Stephen and I met through our interest in writing and article distribution on the Internet at the Ezine Articles site.

Click here for an earlier post I made in reference to Stephen’s incredible story.

MW:  From your website, I see you were born deaf.  How did you learn to speak?
 
Stephen:  For several years throughout elementary, junior, and senior high schools, I went through daily speech therapy sessions at school, with more at home with my mom.

MW:  Did you attend a deaf school or were you mainstreamed?
 
Stephen:  With the exception of kindergarten, I was put in the public school system where all of my teachers and peers were hearing.  I was often the only deaf student in the entire student body.

MW:  That’s really phenomenal, Stephen.  Of all the people in your life, can you name one or two who had a profound influence on you?
 
Stephen:  Mom and Dad (count as one) and Mrs. Jordan, my fifth-grade teacher. (Click Adversity University, Stephen’s blog, if you’d like to learn more about Stephen’s teacher.)
 
MW: You’ve experienced enormous success in the worlds of Wall Street and aviation by becoming an award-winning stockbroker and the world’s first deaf instrument-rated pilot.  How did you do it?
 
Stephen:  First off, I believe strongly in myself.  Secondly, I have faith in God’s ability to provide what I need in terms of having the right people in my life, the right resources at my disposal, and ideas to take action on.

MW:  Well, you must have a very strong grounding then.  Anything else that you would attribute your success to?

Stephen:  Sure, lots of things, but really it has come down to persistence, with the ability to be flexible with changing conditions and to have a strong passion for what I am doing.  I also try to stay very focused on whatever challenge I face, and to carry out ideas with integrity as best I can and know how.
 

MW:  What obstacles did you encounter on your way to success? 

Stephen:  Perhaps the single biggest thing is overcoming other people’s pre-conceived notions of what a deaf person is capable of doing.  I’ve also had to deal with a lot of rejection from potential customers.

MW:  Well, you must have really had a hard time, then, with getting your pilot’s license.

Stephen:  Sure did; the FAA regulations prohibit deaf pilots from becoming instrument rated, because they need to hear the radio while in the clouds.  Also, I have a tough time with people who mumble (MW side comment:  We all do, Stephen!), talk too fast, or have facial hair covering their lips, because I lip read.

MW:  How did you develop your writing skills?
 
Stephen:  After I left Wall Street in 1996 to pursue my dreams of becoming a motivational speaker, author, and pilot, I started a private dairy, letting myself write whatever came to mind.  This freed up any potential writers block and allowed me to access my creative writing skills.

Then later I did some writing exercises using Julie Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, (MW Note:  The Artist’s Way is a phenomenal book — it’s by no means just for artist’s — and I put it in my Top5er list, so get it if you work with any sort of artistic, writing, or creative endeavor).

After that, I started submitting stories to various websites, eventually leading to the publication of three stories in best-selling books including Chicken Soup for the College Soul. Nowadays I write at least one article a day and submit to Ezine Articles, my blog, and my website.
 
MW:  When you give speeches, do you use sign language or do you speak on your own?
 
Stephen:  I speak on my own because most of my audiences are hearing.  On rare occasions I speak to deaf audiences where I use sign language for their benefit.
 
MW:  Stephen, a tough one now . . . you’ve obviously handled a bit of adversity in your life, so how do you keep going when the chips are down?
 
Stephen:  As I mentioned before, i have a strong faith in God and really believe that everything happens for a reason, even the challenges that come before me.  I view setbacks as opportunities in disguise.  I also believe that I have a special purpose in life – that I am here to help others succeed.
 
MW:  What are the most important qualities of a successful person?
 
Stephen:  That’s easy, Michael:  integrity and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. I go crazy from time to time with handwritten thank-you notes, thanking people for whatever they did for me, whether they had faith in my abilities, helped me with a referral, helped me with a sponsorship, gave me an opportunity to prove myself, or any number of other things that have helped me along the way.
 
MW:  Stephen, you’ve had so many wonderful experiences, but what was the most significant turning point in your life?
 
Stephen:  When I realized that I was born deaf for a purpose.  It became clear to me that I was given certain talents to make an impact on the world, and for me that was using my ability to speak articulately and in a way that audiences are able to bond with me.  This ability to communicate opens the way for them to learn, grow, and find their own life’s purpose.
 
MW:  How would you define success, then?

Stephen:  Success is seeing your dreams come to pass, especially when there was no evidence of it ever coming true in the first place.  Success is also being able to hit the pillow every night knowing you did your best to make a difference in other people’s lives and feeling a sense of inner peace about it.

MW:  As I think you know, Dream Jobs Dialog reaches a lot of life seekers and dream job searchers.  What advice would you give to someone who is unclear of their place on this planet and their role in the world of work?  In other words, how would you advise someone to seek their own dream job?

Stephen:  We are all here to serve others by carrying out our life’s purpose.  The way I found mine was by paying attention to my innermost passions.  I am successful because I always believed in the old adage, “Follow your passions and the money will follow.”  Yes, I’ve hit rough patches along the way (more than a few!), but I never starved nor was I ever without a roof over my head.  God has always come through for me simply because I believed and trusted. 
 
Start by writing down all your passions — think about the things you used to do as a child that made time fly by.  What were they?  Whatever they were most likely defines why you came here.   
 
If, on the other hand, those childhood passions no longer excite you (which is quite possible, because we do change as we get older), then I would encourage them to think about the things that you’re excited about today.  Then make a list.  Pray about it.  Believe in the possibilities.  Surround yourself with supporters.  And ,finally, listen to your intuition for ideas to take action on.

MW:  Thanks much, Stephen, it’s been great talking to you.  I hope you’ll stay in touch with us as things evolve in your life.

 

So, Dream Jobbers, holler if you have questions for Stephen of if this interview has sparked you in any way.

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