...the arc of Preston Sturges

Writer, filmmaker, inventor, and restauranteur Preston Sturges lived an amazing life.

• As a child, he was an unremarkable student with no apparent special talents.

• In his twenties, he was a flop, with no success and no prospects.

• In his thirties, he was a celebrated author of hit plays and movies.

• In his forties, he was one of Hollywood’s best-known and most successful directors.

• In his fifties, he was a flop, with no success and no prospects.

• And before he reached age 60, he was dead.

What lessons can we learn from this?

1. If you are not successful now, don’t give up hope. Your best days may be just ahead.
2. If you are a success today, take time to savor the experience, for it almost surely will not last forever.

Recommended biographies:

• Christmas in July: The Life and Art of Preston Sturges - by Diane Jacobs
• Between Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges - by James Curtis
• Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges: His Life in His Words - by Preston Sturges