Gretchen Carlson

It was an idyllic upbringing with the Protestant work ethic, which was my mom said to me every day, you can be whatever you want to be in this world, but you're going to have to work incredibly hard. And so I believed her. I grew up thinking, I'll be president of the United States. Why not? And that was so important. I found out later in life that lots of kids are not told that.

It was an idyllic upbringing with the Protestant work ethic, which was my mom said to me every day, you can be whatever you want to be in this world, but you're going to have to work incredibly hard. And so I believed her. I grew up thinking, I'll be president of the United States. Why not? And that was so important. I found out later in life that lots of kids are not told that.

And so it came with the caveat that you're going to have to work really hard. So I worked hard my whole life from early on. I played the violin early. I started when I was six and it just happened to click. And I started practicing hours and hours a day. And from my music, I developed immense discipline in my life.

And so it came with the caveat that you're going to have to work really hard. So I worked hard my whole life from early on. I played the violin early. I started when I was six and it just happened to click. And I started practicing hours and hours a day. And from my music, I developed immense discipline in my life.

And it gave me immense self-confidence going out on stage and doing so many competitions because the more I practiced, the better I got. And that made me realize that when you invest time in things and effort, you have rewards. And so that was really important in my life.

And it gave me immense self-confidence going out on stage and doing so many competitions because the more I practiced, the better I got. And that made me realize that when you invest time in things and effort, you have rewards. And so that was really important in my life.

Also what my mom would tell me every day, but there was a moment when I was in kindergarten on the first day of school where unfortunately back then the teacher divided the kids into two groups. The kids who could read and the kids who could not read. I don't think they do that anymore, but she unfortunately put me in the wrong group. She put me in the kids who could not read.

Also what my mom would tell me every day, but there was a moment when I was in kindergarten on the first day of school where unfortunately back then the teacher divided the kids into two groups. The kids who could read and the kids who could not read. I don't think they do that anymore, but she unfortunately put me in the wrong group. She put me in the kids who could not read.

And I was so upset about it. And I went up to her desk three times that day and I said, but Mrs. Barencott... I know how to read. And she kept saying, Gretchen, just go back and sit down and you'll be fine. And I ran home from school. I can still feel myself rushing in, yelling for my mom to say I was in the wrong group. And she called the school and the next day it was sorted out.

And I was so upset about it. And I went up to her desk three times that day and I said, but Mrs. Barencott... I know how to read. And she kept saying, Gretchen, just go back and sit down and you'll be fine. And I ran home from school. I can still feel myself rushing in, yelling for my mom to say I was in the wrong group. And she called the school and the next day it was sorted out.

But I thought about... that bold little girl a lot before I decided to jump off the cliff because what would have happened if I had not had that persistence in my heart and mind at five years old to stand up for myself just about reading, right?

But I thought about... that bold little girl a lot before I decided to jump off the cliff because what would have happened if I had not had that persistence in my heart and mind at five years old to stand up for myself just about reading, right?

That could have changed my entire educational trajectory, number one, but my life trajectory of, I learned from an early age that if I stood up for myself and I knew what I believed and I stood up for the truth, that it would turn out to be okay. And I thought about that little girl a lot before I decided to do what I did.

That could have changed my entire educational trajectory, number one, but my life trajectory of, I learned from an early age that if I stood up for myself and I knew what I believed and I stood up for the truth, that it would turn out to be okay. And I thought about that little girl a lot before I decided to do what I did.

Yeah, you know, I realized, number one, I saw a lot of unhappy musicians surrounding me. I'm sure there's tons of people who are happy, but It seemed like it really back to being solo by myself, like playing the violin and doing these kinds of competitions. I wanted to be a famous concert artist, the soloist that would come and play with the orchestras, right?

Yeah, you know, I realized, number one, I saw a lot of unhappy musicians surrounding me. I'm sure there's tons of people who are happy, but It seemed like it really back to being solo by myself, like playing the violin and doing these kinds of competitions. I wanted to be a famous concert artist, the soloist that would come and play with the orchestras, right?

Again, a very lonely solo experience, right? Winning a competition, it was all up to me. This was not a team sport. And so I realized that to be the best of the best of the best, I was going to have to give up everything else in my life. And I would just have to have tunnel vision and not be able to do anything else. And I enjoyed so many other things in life.

Again, a very lonely solo experience, right? Winning a competition, it was all up to me. This was not a team sport. And so I realized that to be the best of the best of the best, I was going to have to give up everything else in my life. And I would just have to have tunnel vision and not be able to do anything else. And I enjoyed so many other things in life.

I was in drama in high school and I excelled as a student. And I quite honestly, as a teenager, liked boys. I mean, I wanted to do all these other things and I never had time because I was practicing four hours a day. So I decided to quit when I was 17. And my parents were just really devastated by that. And you can understand that now as an adult. You have this child that has this gift.

I was in drama in high school and I excelled as a student. And I quite honestly, as a teenager, liked boys. I mean, I wanted to do all these other things and I never had time because I was practicing four hours a day. So I decided to quit when I was 17. And my parents were just really devastated by that. And you can understand that now as an adult. You have this child that has this gift.