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Keith's Dyslexia Story: Learning to Fly
Keith always struggled with reading and writing. As young as 6, he was already noticeably behind the other children in his class. He would often get frustrated, angry, and incredibly anxious. He knew that he was different from everyone else, and he was ashamed of his secret – he couldn't read.
When Keith was 13, his parents took him out of his comprehensive and sent him to a specialist school where he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia. The diagnosis came as a relief to Keith because it finally explained why he was having so much trouble in school. However, in some ways it also made him feel even more lost, because while all the other children could choose what they wanted to do with their lives, for Keith there were so many things that would always be out of reach – including his dream of being a pilot.
"I had so many dreams and ideas for what I wanted to do with myself. But I wasn't like the other kids. There were some things that just always felt out of reach, and that was very disheartening as a child."
Keith dropped out of school at 16 with no GCSEs. He was devastated, but it didn’t stop him being determined to find something he could be proud of. Keith’s first job was working for National Express, where to hide his dyslexia, Keith memorised the spellings of all the place names in the UK. It was a tough job, but Keith was determined to succeed.
At 19, Keith formed a band with some friends. As the lead singer, he was the face of the band, but still he always felt inferior to his bandmates, who were all studying at university and had no idea that Keith couldn't read. The band split up when Keith was 23, and he fell into a deep depression. He was taking any job he could, but he was limited by his lack of qualifications and experience.
Then one day, Keith saw a TED Talk about dyslexia. The speaker talked about how dyslexia is a learning difference, not a disability. This gave Keith hope, and he started to look into the avenues that people with dyslexia go down. He found that he was fascinated by finance and the stock markets, so he went to a financial trading seminar in London. This was the turning point in his life.
"I saw a Ted Talk from a guy who said 40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic. I couldn't see it back then, but now I understand the reason for that."
Now 41, Keith is a self-employed financial trader. He currently manages seed capital investment, and educates people on how to invest in the financial industry – he's even helped give his parents a pension. He has two children, and enjoys the luxury of spending as much time as he can with them thanks to his self-made working schedule.
Keith still struggles to read and write, but he has built a hugely successful career from the ground up, with nothing but sheer determination behind him. He wants to tell all his fellow dyslexics out there, young and old, that there is nothing they can't achieve if they want it enough and are willing to fight for it.
"I have everything I never thought I could have, and I did it all for myself."
Keith may never be a chartered pilot, but he is still planning to learn to fly, so he can take his children up and show them how the world looks different from the sky.
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