“The Broken Jug. THIS post can only come from Norman, the Inspirator. Thank you… for the Daily Dose of Inspiration,” wrote my friend Caro on Wednesday after I wrote an article about a four-year-old boy who accidentally destroyed a 3,500-year-old jug in an Israeli museum. The museum then invited him and his family back to see the restored piece. This incident and Caro’s comment reminded me of a story I wanted to tell during my Porsche Arena show in March 2020: the story of Steve Wynn.
Multi-billionaire Steve Wynn, one of the most influential men in Las Vegas, was known not only for his casinos but also for his love of art. In 2001, he acquired Pablo Picasso’s “Le Rêve – The Dream” for a staggering $50 million. Five years later, after setting his sights on two other paintings, he decided to sell Le Rêve. New York hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen offered him an incredible $139 million for “The Dream” – the highest amount ever paid for a piece of art at that time.
On the day of the handover, the unthinkable happened: While Wynn was talking with friends in his office, he accidentally bumped his elbow against the painting, leaving a hole in the canvas. The dream was shattered – in an instant. So, Steve Wynn lost not only his dream but also $89 million, as he bought the now-damaged painting back from Steven A. Cohen. Instead of giving up, he sought a way to restore the painting.
A year later, a European restorer had perfectly repaired the piece so that even experts couldn’t see the damage anymore. But then the restorer turned the painting around and said: “The back of the painting still tells the story of its restoration. From the back, it doesn’t look very nice. To be honest, it even looks ugly. You will be able to see the work that was done to make the dream perfect again. People will only see the beauty, but those who know the whole story will know that the reason it looks so perfect on the front is that it was restored from the inside out.”
When Steven A. Cohen heard that The Dream had been restored, he bought the formerly damaged dream for a staggering $155 million – $16 million more than his original offer. Through destruction and restoration, “The Dream” had become much more valuable than in its pristine state.
Your life is worth so much more now than it was years ago—before the crisis, before the pandemic, before the setbacks. Because through your learning experiences, you have gained so much knowledge. Are you focusing on the setbacks or on your dream? It’s okay to sometimes lose your way and drift into a valley of despair. It only becomes existentially threatening if you stay in that state. When will you finally be authentic again and recognize your true worth? Your experience may have been very painful, but it has given you so much—if you put on your blue glasses and use this knowledge for your benefit.
Even if your dream seems destroyed at times, stand up, dust yourself off, and put your crown back on. The game of life is not over until it’s truly over. Until then, keep going, because you can still be and achieve so much more. Be proud of your past, because it has made you who you are today – a wonderful person.
I believe in you.
