It’s that time of the week again when I tell you all a Monday Truclusions story. But trust me, I did not know what story to tell you until Saturday. I was inspired when I saw my nieces play with a Lego set. Suddenly, it struck me that the way the toy company was started, and their journey to success is an amazing and inspirational story in itself.
Let me narrate this story, and then I shall introduce an equally inspiring personality to you. Here is how the story goes:
The Birth Of Lego
Many years ago, there was a skilled and hardworking carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen. He had started his own company, but times were hard and he had to close the company and dismiss all his employees. But that wasn’t the end of his troubles, he also lost his wife soon after that. But Ole wasn’t a quitter, he knew he had to start from the scratch again and rise like a phoenix does – from its own ashes.
While he was wondering what he could do and how to restart his life, he found some good wood in his workshop and, to bring a smile to his children’s faces, he made a toy duck. His kids were very happy to play with the toy their father had made for them. In the smiles on his children’s faces, Ole saw a new opportunity. He realised that if his toy duck could make his kids happy, it could also make other kids smile.
He decided to use the wood left over in his workshop to make quality toys and sell them. A combination of talent and hard work cannot go unnoticed. Soon word spread about the beautiful toys.
Rebuilding His Life And Business
Soon a wholesaler signed up for a huge order of toys from Ole for Christmas. Ole took advantage of this great opportunity and called all his ex-employees who happily returned to work. Later, one of his sons, Godtfred, began helping him with the business. However, they soon came up against an obstacle – the wholesaler who was supposed to buy the toys went bankrupt.
But Ole and Godtfred did not give up, they decided to create a brand of their own – “LEGO”. The name is derived from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means ‘play well.’ It was only later that they discovered that LEGO also meant ‘I put together’ in Latin.
The brand was well received and their business began to grow. They soon began manufacturing and incorporating plastic toys into the market. The idea was a great success when Lego introduced the toy Ferguson tractor.
Trial By Fire
The toy factory caught fire, and once again Ole and his family found themselves amidst a financial crisis. But both father and son knew that they only had lost money not their will to succeed or their discipline to work hard. A new factory was constructed, and this time around, Lego decided to innovate! They introduced home furniture and dollhouses to their stores to target young girls.
The next big thing that was introduced was a system in the toy industry, and by system, I mean a whole township that could be built using the Lego plastic blocks. This was a game-changing move by the team. But their innovation did not stop there. Until then, the Lego blocks could only be used to build houses. But soon the blocks were given new ‘teeth’ for better binding purposes, and users could let their imaginations go wild and build anything they wanted.
It wasn’t only the users who imagined and built with the blocks, but Lego itself. In the 1960’s, a theme park was built using only the Lego blocks. The park consisted of three acres, and it actually attracted more than 6,000,000 visitors in its first year alone, and more than a million paying visitors over the next 20 years. Not only this, but there is a functional car that was built using Lego blocks.
Such amazing achievements inspired Warner Bros to make an animated movie about the company in 2014.
The point I am trying to make here is that if you decide to hang in there, through both difficult times and good ones, you can rest assured that you will make it big in whatever walk of life you choose, come what may.
Choosing The Harder, More Rewarding Route
Now as promised, this week’s Monday Truclusions shall introduce to you a person who never gave up in times of adversity and turned the challenges thrown at her by life into opportunities. She lived the life of the girl next door, until life slammed all doors shut at her. But when it did, she found a window that was open to her, and turned into who she is now.
She is a role model to many now, my dear readers, and I am proud to present to you India’s first female blade runner, Kiran Kanojia.
Kiran, till a few years ago, was like many of us, living a normal, happy life. She used to be a working professional in a 9 to 5 corporate job, foreseeing a bright future for herself.
Until one day when she was going back to her parents’ house to celebrate her 25th birthday, life decided to play a nasty prank on her. Two goons tried to snatch her bag on the train and flee. She resisted, and in anger, they pushed her out of the train.
Kiran lost her left leg in the accident, but not her zest for life. Though she belonged to a conservative community, where most people were concerned about her eligibility to get married after her accident, she believed she could live her life to the fullest and the accident wasn’t the end of her life.
Even when the doctor told her she would struggle to walk on her own again, she decided that she would prove him wrong. She was then introduced to Dakshin Rehab. They provide artificial limbs and running blades to people who need them.
Though Kiran had to learn to walk again like a child, she adapted and went on to complete a half marathon. She says running has given purpose to her existence, and that she can inspire so many by making them believe they don’t need limbs to fly.
Here is a humble dedication to inspirations like Kiran:
Suddenly today I feel the darkness has grown,
For reasons which are to me unknown!
And I am today all alone,
To fight my plight on my own;
Am I ship bound to sink?
Was my destiny written in forsaken ink?
Where in my armour was the unseen chink?
It all changed within a blink;
I was aiming for a star,
Now I live in the memory of a scar!
Even one step seems too far,
Why was I chosen to mar?
But now I rebel, not to obey
I shall carve my own way,
Shall not die and call it a day,
As I am here to stay.
Liked reading this? Then you might also like to read Monday Truclusions – Leadership Lessons From The Masters.
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