Are You Jackie Chan?

Don’t flatter yourself. We’re all specks of dust in the universe—it’s just that my speck looks like Jackie Chan.

It was around 1990, and there I was in Menlo Park, California, sitting at a stoplight on El Camino Real in my Porsche 911. I noticed a car beside me filled with teenage girls who were smiling and giggling in my direction.

My ego immediately went into overdrive. After all, I could have been recognizable for any number of reasons—my work at Apple, my published books, my speaking engagements, my successful startup, or (let’s be honest) maybe even my dashing good looks. I was basking in the apparent recognition, thinking I’d finally made it big when even teenage girls knew who I was.

The girl in the passenger seat gestured for me to roll down my window. Being the friendly sort, I obliged, already rehearsing my gracious celebrity response in my head. She leaned out and asked, with genuine excitement, “Are you Jackie Chan?”

All I could do was laugh and shake my head. So much for fame—I was just another Asian guy who happened to bear a resemblance to a genuine celebrity.

The lesson?

Don’t let your ego run away with you. We’re all just tiny specks in this vast universe— though in my case, I happen to be a speck that looks like Jackie Chan.

But I’ve had a dream ever since: One day, Jackie Chan will be sitting in his Bentley or S-Class at a stoplight when he notices a car of teenage girls trying to catch his attention. One of them will motion for him to roll down his window, and she’ll ask, “Are you Guy Kawasaki?”

After all, what drives you isn’t as important as the fact that you’re driven. Even if that motivation comes from being mistaken for a martial arts superstar.

Mahalo!

Guy