People
You’ve read the lists ranking the deadliest jobs in the world. But what you might not think about is that there are a plenty of people risking their lives when they aren’t on the job. This list compiles the people who are risking their lives the most, some while on the job and some not. Many of them are even risking their lives every single day and others are putting innocent people in danger.
Here are thirteen types of people in the world risking their lives the most. The list is ranked from least to most risky.
13. Paparazzi
All the paps want that money shot but at what cost? The profession as a whole isn’t the most dangerous; it’s the degree to which the individual photographer takes it. Car chases, running into traffic, invading people’s privacy, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured and killed.
12. Field reporters
Even if they are reporting from a seemingly safe location, they’re so focused with their task that they lose awareness of what’s going on around them. Sade Baderinwa, a reporter from WABC 7 in New York City knows how reporting in a location that can make you complacent can get you seriously injured. While preparing to give a report in New Jersey on July 23, 2004 Sade was hit by a car. The driver fled the scene leaving Sade with a broken arm, knee that was basically destroyed, and months of rehabilitation ahead. Today, she has recovered physically but the event has changed her life forever. Now she delivers the news from behind the desk.
11. Psychiatric ward workers
These workers risk their lives to help mentally unstable people and hardly ever get recognized or thanked for it. Besides working with patients that can snap at any moment and inflict bodily harm; the work can take a toll on the worker’s own mental health. It’s one of those jobs you can never truly escape even when you’re off. There are always thoughts about the health of your patients in your head.
10. Those trying to fit in
You know exactly who I’m talking about. They try to go with the crowd, act like the popular people and just want to fit in with the masses. Okay, so they might not die from trying to fit in, but they certainly are not being who they really are or living their life the way they should. They need to be true to themselves and stand out, not fit in.
“…success is related to standing out, not fitting in.” – AMC’s Mad Men
9. Stuntmen
These men and women put their lives on the line so that we can be entertained. Since stuntmen are behind the scenes very few get much recognition. The action stars that use stunt doubles reap the fame and praise for all the grunt work of the stuntmen.
8. Police, firefighters, and paramedics
They risk their lives to save citizens’ lives. Police officers get a bad reputation for just wanting to get people in trouble and hand out tickets, when most became officers to save and change lives. They aren’t out to get you; they’re out to protect you. In many small towns, firefighters and paramedics are volunteers. They’re risking their lives for others, for free!
7. Miners
It’s an old fashion occupation and is still very dangerous, despite technology innovating the field. Miners face a number of dangers: unhealthy air, cave collapses, floods, large machinery, and claustrophobia.
6. Drivers on cell phones
Though banned in most states, so many people still talk on the phone while driving. Even if you’re using a headset, you’re not focused on the road. You’re not just putting your life in danger when talking behind the wheel.
5. Alaskan crab fishermen
Considered the most dangerous job in the world, these fishermen face huge storms, icy water, giant waves, solid ice, and heavy equipment. Unlike many other dangerous jobs, some of these fishermen can earn six figures in a few short months. But is it worth it?
4. Hungry children in third world countries
Imagine every day having to scavenge through waste to find something to eat? Imagine doing this as a child? There are millions of children forced to do this around the world. They have to face disease and death, just to avoid disease and death. To help innocent children like them perhaps you want to learn more about donating to an organization such as UNICEF.
3. Drunk drivers
I don’t understand how people can be so foolish and selfish to drive while they’re intoxicated. They’re too lazy to take a few minutes to call a cab or find a designated driver. They rather take the chance and change a life forever or kill someone.
2. Soldiers
It’s true that freedom is not free. And who pays the greatest price for freedom? Soldiers. These men and women have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. It’s stressful, dangerous, and usually located in an alien land.
1. Those not following their dreams
Those people who are not following their dreams are risking their lives the most. We’re all here for a purpose and we’re all meant to follow our dreams. We only have one chance at life and we can’t waste it. Not following the dreams in our hearts is the greatest risk in the world.
Whether friend, foe, or family member, I think there is more we need to learn and know about each other. Knowing certain things will help us work together better, understand where each of us is coming from, and to help one and other achieve success. You might even find out that you have more in common with someone than previously thought.
Here are 15 things to know about the people in your life.
1. Know at least one of their life’s goals.
2. Know one of their weaknesses.
3. Know what makes them truly happy.
4. Learn about their childhood.
5. Learn about what they want in the future.
6. Find out what they feel was their biggest failure in life so far.
7. Find out what they do and don’t like about their life.
8. Discover what their dream job has always been.
9. Find out what their favorite book is.
10. Find out something they’ve always want to try, like skydiving or bungee jumping.
11. Find out who they admire.
12. Know what their biggest fear is.
13. Discover why they aren’t pursuing their dreams.
14. Find out where they would live if they could live anywhere.
15. Find out what they thought was the worst day in their life.
There are countless more facts you can learn about the people in your life. Don’t think of it as being nosy, just be sure to share your information as well.
We all know that person. The one who is always laughing, crackin’ jokes, having fun, and just being happy, no matter what’s going on.
Everyone is attracted to them, and perhaps you want to be like them. But maybe you think it’s impossible to always be happy. However, you most certainly can be happy like them and you SHOULD be happy like them.
They are no special secrets to how these people can have so much joy. They don’t possess anything that you don’t have. The only thing they do is practice habits that make them happy.
So here are seven habits that can be found in people who are always really happy. If you can practice these and turn them into habits you’ll be just as happy as them.
1. Don’t care what others think
They don’t care what others think or have to say. If they did, they wouldn’t let themselves free and be happy because of the possibility of scrutiny.
Really happy people also never let negative people and their attitudes get to them. Whatever the negative people say or do just rolls off the backs of the happy people.
2. Always looking at the bright side of things
No matter what situations are thrown at a happy person, they look for the bright side. Everything that is negative has a positive side to it. Negativity wouldn’t exist without positivity. Happy people know this and have practiced looking for the bright side so much that now it has become a habit. And even if a happy person can’t find the bright side of something, they’ll create it.
3. Being friendly
Happy people are always looking to make friends. They don’t care what you look like or what background you come from, they just want someone new to laugh and be happy with. And by default happy people are friendly; everyone wants to be happy as well and are drawn to them.
If you know a friendly person who is always making fun of others to bring them down, then they aren’t truly happy person. There’s something inside of them that they are insecure about.
4. Laugh & Smile
This habit goes along with being friendly. I have NEVER seen a happy person not smile or laugh. It just isn’t physically possible. However, a really happy person smiles so much that they turned it into a habit. You might even see them smiling for no real reason, it’s that natural to them. Laughing is another mandatory habit of really happy people. If you or they aren’t laughing, then there’s no true happiness.
5. Live in the moment
Really happy people make the most of every minute and day they have. They aren’t going to wait to have fun; they’re going to create fun now.
6. Push aside their troubles
Even if a happy person can’t find or create the positive side of a situation, they do the next best thing, they push it aside. They forget about it and move on because they know it’s only temporary and they know they can make their troubles leave even sooner.
7. Laugh in the face of fear
Just like the rest of us, really happy people have fears. Most of the time they just don’t display it. Happy people make jokes to lighten the mood and to make others feel more relaxed so they will too.
Photo by M@rg
Peggy McColl is an expert in goal achieving. She gives seminars and speaking engagements to thousands of people each year and has been helping athletes and professionals for the last 25 years.
On top of this, she is a New York Times bestselling author and is the founder and President of Dynamic Destinies, Inc. Through Dynamic Destinies and through her seminars, Peggy assists individuals in setting and achieving their goals.
She has written a total of five books, with her most popular being Your Destiny Switch. Your Destiny Switch demonstrates to readers how they can shift their emotions to control their destiny.
Peggy’s writing and seminars have garnered endorsements from other bestselling authors and very successful people including: Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, and Mark Victor Hansen.
Tomorrow, May 1st, marks the launch of her new book entitled 21 Distinctions of Wealth: Attract the Abundance You Deserve. In this book 
Peggy discusses how inside each of us lies the ability to achieve everything we desire.
The first distinction sets the tone for the rest of the book and should set the tone for your life. Distinction number one says, “You Are Already Rich – You Were Born That Way!” Everyone needs to understand that we all have access to wealth and abundance. As much as people want to say it, wealth does NOT discriminate. You can come from anywhere and any background and still achieve it.
I recommend you learn more about Peggy McColl on her website here and consider purchasing 21 Distinctions of Wealth on Amazon.
Rags to riches stories always motivate and inspire people. Even if you don’t want immense wealth, these stories will demonstrate to you, that with action and perseverance, you too can have what you desire.
Some of these stories you may have heard of, but it’s good to be reminded.
1. Chris Gardner
Like most rags to riches stories, Chris Gardner’s consists of many ups and downs. When he was a child, his father left him. His mother remarried, to a man who was anything but a father figure. He made Chris’ life and his mother’s life a living hell. Chris was chased out of the house and really had nowhere to go. He eventually found a place in the Navy.
After the Navy, he became a medical supplies salesman. He then had a child with his wife, Sherry. His career in the medical industry was doing well for him then, but the future was uncertain. The industry was changing, so Chris had to look to somewhere else for employment.
One day Chris saw a man parking a red Ferrari. He went up to him to ask what he did for a living. The man told Chris he was a stock broker. That’s all Chris needed to hear. Now he wanted to pursue a career as a stock broker.
Chris left his job as a supplies salesman. He had little money and his wife left him. Chris had no job, no money, no wife, and no home. But he did have his son. His son gave him immense motivation to do what he had to secure a better life.
The two of them were homeless and slept wherever they could, including a bathroom at the subway station. While they were homeless, Chris studied for the licensing exam, which he passed.
They were still struggling, but they had more hope than ever before. Chris got a job at Bear Sterns in San Francisco. He made cold calls to get new clients and worked as many hours as he possibly could.
As Chris worked harder, their situation began to get better. They were able to find a place to live and Chris was starting to earn more money. In 1987, Chris was able to start his own brokerage firm called Gardner Rich & Co. in Chicago.
There is much more to Chris’ story, enough to fill a book and make a movie out of. I recommend you research more about him.
2. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey was born in Ontario, Canada. He grew up with his mother and father and with an older brother and two older sisters. In the beginning things for the Carrey were doing okay. Jim’s father, Percy was supporting his family as an accountant. But when Jim was a young teenager, the family’s situation began to deteriorate.
They all had to relocate to Scarborough, another town in Ontario. To help make ends meet all of them took up jobs at the Titan Wheels Factory, including Jim. They worked in the janitorial and security departments. While working an eight hour shift Jim was still attending school.
They eventually moved on from the factory but things still didn’t get any better. The family was living out of a camper van. Jim decided enough is enough and took a shot at comedy, his main passion.
Jim did a few stand-up routines at local comedy clubs and was instantly hooked. At sixteen he dropped out of high school and performed celebrity impressions. Then he made a major choice to move to Los Angeles.
In LA he performed a regular gig at The Comedy Store. His talent impressed many people including Rodney Dangerfield.
Jim didn’t stop at stand-up. He began to look around for work in other areas of entertainment. He landed a part on a short-lived sitcom called The Duck Factory. After that, Jim played a few more parts in some movies.
Jim also did a film entitled, Earth Girls Are Easy. One of his costars, Damon Wayans called his brother Keenen. Keenen was creating a show called In Living Color. Jim joined the cast of In Living Color. This became Jim’s breakout role because of his many memorable characters.
After this show, Jim moved into bigger film roles. His hits included Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Jim became one of the highest paid comedians and actors in Hollywood history.
3. H. Wayne Huizenga
Wayne was born in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois to Harry and Jean Huizenga. When Wayne was in his early teens, he along with his father, mother, and younger sister moved to Florida.
His father, Harry, wasn’t an ideal male figure. He was abusive to his wife Jean. They were close to a divorce until they moved to Florida. The move was Harry’s plan to save the marriage and start over.
But Harry didn’t really want to change. He still was abusive to both Jean and their children. It was tough for all of them but Wayne didn’t let this stop him. He used it as motivation to get a better life.
After high school, Wayne moved back to Chicago and tried attending college but dropped out after about a year and a half. Wayne then enlisted in the Army reserves. He trained with them for about a year.
After Army training, Wayne moved back to Florida, where he moved towards the waste management industry. He bought a truck and began to take out the garbage in Broward county. Broward was seeing a huge population boom at this time.
In less than ten years, Wayne grew that one garbage truck into a fleet and a successful business. The business stretched across much of the southern part of Florida and eventually grew into Waste Management Inc.
WMI became one of the largest waste management firms in the United States. Wayne wasn’t settling down though, he wanted more.
Wayne set his sights on a new industry. One of his friends mentioned a small company called Blockbuster, which at the time only had a few stores. Wayne was intrigued when he visited one of the stores and decided to buy the company.
Wayne again turned another company into a huge success. Blockbuster grew and grew and eventually merged with Viacom for $8 billion. Wayne moved on to pursue more ventures, many which also have become very successful.
Through his career, Wayne has founded three Fortune 500 companies and has owned three professional sports teams.
4. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey’s rags to riches story is probably one of the most well-known. Oprah was born to unwed, teenage parents in Mississippi. After Oprah was born, the two teenagers broke up.
For the first six years of Oprah’s life, she was raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee. Her grandmother was poor and couldn’t provide much, but did provide Oprah with a great ability, the ability to read before the age of three.
When Oprah was six, she moved to the inner city of Milwaukee to live with her mother, Vernita Lee.
Oprah still didn’t have much except her academics. She excelled in school and was even awarded a scholarship to attend Nicolet High School.
As Oprah grew older, she became a rebellious teenager, running away from home. Her mother decided to send Oprah to live with her father, Vernon in Tennessee.
Oprah continued to do well in school and other areas of life. Her success impressed WVOL, a local black radio station. She got a job with them to do the news part-time. This was Oprah’s first taste of the media world. She liked it very much and chose that as the industry where she wanted to pursue a career.
After the radio, Oprah moved to television. She worked as a news anchor for WLAC-TV in Nashville. There she was the first black female anchor and the youngest ever. Oprah then moved to Baltimore, Maryland where she became an anchor of the six o’clock news. Then she co-hosted a local talk show called People Are Talking.
Oprah then moved on to Chicago where she hosted a show called AM Chicago. At the time, the show was very low rated. Ms. Winfrey however took it to a whole new level. It became the highest rated talk show in Chicago.
After the success, the show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and became nationally broadcasted. I guess you could say the rest is history.
Oprah has been nominated for an Academy Award, runs a successful magazine, TV show, website, and will launch her own cable network in 2009.
5. Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was one of the titans of the industrial age. But before this time he was a poor boy from Scotland.
His father, William, was a hand loom weaver. When the industrialization of society began to spread across the world, William’s job became obsolete. The family had difficulties making ends meet. Then like most people of their time, they decided to start a new life in America.
In 1848 when Andrew was thirteen, they arrived in the US. Andrew quickly got to work at a cotton mill. He worked six days a week and twelve hours each day. Three years later Andrew got another job as a telegraph messenger for the Ohio Telegraph Company.
Andrew quickly excelled at the job and showed a great work ethic. A man from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company offered him a job as his secretary and telegraph operator. With each new job, Andrew worked harder and harder and earned more money.
Andrew quickly became the superintendent of the Pittsburgh division of the railroad company. Thomas Scott, the man who offered Andrew the job became his mentor. Thomas helped him with investing. Andrew early investments were very successful. With each profitable investment, Andrew put the money into another company.
These investments gave him enough capital to continue investing in other businesses and industries. Andrew remained with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and continued to advance his career there.
Andrew eventually started investing in the steel industry. Andrew moved away from the railroad industry but kept his contacts with those he met in the industry. His investments grew into a steel company that became one of the largest in America.
Andrew’s company was eventually bought out for the equivalent of 120 billion in 2007 dollars.
After this, Andrew became a philanthropist and donated a large amount of his fortune. His donations went to build schools and libraries across the country and the world.
Their stories may be different but they all demonstrate that your current circumstances cannot prevent you from where you want to be in the future.
Kurek Ashley doesn’t really consider himself a motivational speaker or a life coach, he considers himself a success coach. Kurek helps people and companies in harnessing their full potential for peak performance in all areas of their life. From their finances to their spirituality. He believes success can be achieved everywhere.
Like all of us, Kurek has experienced very difficult events that would break most people. And in the beginning such circumstances were breaking Kurek, emotionally, physically, and financially.
Before Mr. Ashley assisted others in achieving success, he was achieving it for himself in Hollywood. Kurek worked on over 38 film and television projects, alongside actors such as John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone, and Chuck Norris.
While filming a movie with Chuck Norris, tragedy struck Kurek’s life. A helicopter used for the movie crashed killing five people. All were his friends. This event lead Kurek down a path of depression and self-destruction. He resorted to drugs to relieve his pain and was very close to committing suicide on more than a few occasions.
After two years of this reckless behavior Kurek started to transform his life. He discovered that through love and passion you can not only change your life but you can also change the world. From this moment of discovery, Mr. Ashley has been unstoppable. He wanted to demonstrate to people that they can do anything as long as they take action and have focus. To do so, Kurek walked 266 feet across 600 degree coals to break the world record for the longest firewalk.
Besides achieving records and success for himself, Kurek has helped celebrities and athletes such as volleyball player Kerri Ann Pottharst. Kerri was part of the Australia Women’s Olympic beach volleyball team. With Kurek’s help the team took home a gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Today, Kurek resides in Queensland, Australia and is the CEO of Kurek Ashley Success International Pty Ltd. Through this company, he is able to touch the lives of over 10,000 people each year through his seminars and teachings.
But Mr. Ashley isn’t stopping there. He has just released his book “How Would Love Respond?” and hopes to touch the lives of millions more around the world. “How Would Love Respond?” helps readers achieve greater happiness, success, and love. It was released on April 1st and has already hit numerous best-seller lists, including:
- Number 1 on Amazon’s Mover and Shaker list
- Number 4 on Barnes & Noble Self Improvement list
- Number 7 on Bestseller Barnes and Noble list
- Number 8 on Amazon’s Hot New Release list
I highly recommend you purchase Kurek’s book. It’ll not only change your life, but can help you change to world around you. “How Would Love Respond?” can be purchased from Amazon as well as from Barnes & Noble.
I also recommend you visit the “How Would Love Respond?” website here and Kurek’s main site here to learn more.
Want to change the world? Want an extremely easy yet extremely powerful way to do it? Just say “thank you”. These two words are so simple but so overlooked by most people.
Thank you can lose its meaning when there is no sincerity behind it. However when thank you is said with truth behind it, it can became two of the most powerful words in the world. Words that can change that world. People’s moods can instantly change because of these two words. When one person’s mood changes, it’ll create a chain reaction. That one person can eventually change the mood of hundreds if not thousands of others.
Here are a few ways to say “thank you” in which it will change lives and the world.
Say it when it’s unexpected
Make sure you thank someone when they do something for you. But if you want a thank you to have a bigger impact and leave a lasting impression on someone, say it out of the blue. Say it when it’ll shock them. Do it when that person has done nothing for you. Even interrupt them when they are talking and you’re listening. Stop them and say thank you.
Say it in a new way
Try saying thank you in a new way. Perhaps you can write it on card or create a banner. Or if you want to do something differently say thank you in a different language.
Say it for something simple
This is another way to make the words thank you 100 times more powerful. Tell someone thank you for something simple or even for something stupid. Say “thank you for being my friend”, “thank you for being you”, or any way that will get someone laughing or thinking.
There’s really no reason you should hate your life. Many people give excuses as to why they do. Here are 12 common reasons. If you given these excuses then you need to quickly readjust your thinking. When you do, you’ll quickly come to enjoy your life.
1. Your parents ruined your life
Many people complain that their parents raised them wrong, set them up for failure, or didn’t start a college fund for them. If you can recognize these shortcomings, the you can change the future.
2. You have no money
This is probably the worst excuse. If money is the main reason for your happiness then you will never be happy. Money should not make you enjoy your life or hate it.
3. Your job sucks
If it sucks so much then quit and move on. A bad job should give you motivation to chase your dreams and strive for something better.
4. You have no time
If you have no time to do what you want then you must be letting unimportant tasks get the best of you. There’s many times when we think something is important or urgent, but in reality it isn’t. Recognize when you do this and change your focus to what you desire. Eliminate the unnecessary things that we all have and instantly you’ll have more time.
5. You have no one
Many times people’s depression and reason for hating life is because they feel alone. It’s one of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Everyone must feel that they are wanted and have friends. When you don’t feel like you have anyone, you become depressed. But being depressed isn’t going to do any better, it’s going to chase people further away.
6. You’re a failure
People say they’re failures when they don’t accomplish something. But they always forget to recall or recognize the successes they’ve had in the past. You will never be a failure as long as you continue. And you never fail to learn from failure. Failure is great.
7. You’ve done nothing with your life
If you’ve done nothing productive with your life then get going! Start now or start tomorrow. It’s never too late or too early.
8. You’re bored
If you’re bored with your job and life, then you aren’t challenging yourself enough. You’ve settled with mediocrity. Start dreaming. Write down your dreams and goals, and how you can achieve them. Your life will become exciting in no time.
9. You’re stuck
Many people hate their lives because they feel like they’re getting no where fast. Whether it be debt and bills or a bad job, you can begin to plan your escape right now. Create a plan with hundreds of little steps and take at least one step everyday. Once you do so you’re becoming unstuck and before you know it you’ve escaped.
10. You let others get to you
You may hate your life because you listen too much to others. Don’t listen to naysayers and negative opinions. Don’t let others make you hate your life. Most of the time those who make you feel that way, hate their own lives.
11. You’ve stopped yourself
Many of those who hate their lives, do so because they didn’t follow through with their dreams. YOU are the most important factor to YOUR joy and happiness.
12. You’re too negative
If you hate your life then you’re too negative. Change your attitude and you’ll enjoy your life.
The story of Walt Disney demonstrates that if you can dream big things, you can achieve big things. Walt’s dreams have enabled millions of children and adults to dream as well. No matter who you are or where you’re from, Walt has positively affected your imagination and life.
The Beginning
On December 5, 1901, Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois. When Walt was a young child his family moved to Missouri. At an early age, Walt began to show an interest in his imagination and drawing. At the same time Walt began to become interested in motion pictures.
Early Obstacles
When Walt was a teenager his father moved him and his family back to Chicago. While Walt was a freshman in high school, he also took night classes at The Chicago Art Institute.While attending, Walt developed his creative and artistic skills even further. During this time World War I was raging. At sixteen, Walt made a significant decision and decided to drop out of high school. He wanted to join the army and attempted to do so. However, Walt was underage so the army did not allow him to join. But not letting the rejection stop him, Walt decided to join the Red Cross instead. Walt became an ambulance driver with the foundation. This gave him the opportunity to travel to other countries and be apart of something positive.
Following A Passion
When Walt finished his duties with the Red Cross, he came back to America and moved to Kansas City. There, he got back into drawing and got his first taste of the business world. Walt worked at a company creating advertisements for newspapers, magazines, and movie theaters. However, Walt did not want to settle at this company. In 1920, at age nineteen, Walt launched a company with a friend, Ubbe Iwerks. The company was called Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. Walt and Ubbe had tough times with this business. Ubbe felt forced to leave for work at a film ad company so that he could make ends meet. The company was eventually taken over by it’s investors so Walt decided to move on as well.
A New Start
After launching an unsuccessful business, Walt quickly moved on. He set his sights on Hollywood. With his brother, Roy, the started an animation studio in their uncle’s garage with their savings. They had less money and tighter resources but were off to a better start. Soon after launching they struck a deal with a New York company to distribute some of Disney’s animated shorts. Walt found more success than he had in the past, but this was only the beginning.
The Mouse That Changed It All
Walt had to face another obstacle after his early achievements. His company lost the rights to a cartoon character that was responsible for much of their success. He literally went back to the drawing board to create another character. This is when Mickey Mouse was born. Walt created some rough sketches of a mouse and had his past business partner and friend, Ubbe refine the sketches. Walt and Ubbe created a short called Steamboat Willie, with Walt as the voice of Mickey. Steamboat Willie brought Walt and the studio a huge amount of success and defined their studio.
Steamboat Willie became one of the crucial steps that turned Disney into what it is today. Without Walt’s previous “failures” the world and our lives would be much different. Walt’s story shows that one person can change the world.
7 Lessons from Walt Disney
1. Dream big, achieve big - Walt dreamed unlike anyone else during his time and he made those dreams a reality.
2. Don’t wait - Even when Walt was in high school, he found a way to chase his artistic dreams now, rather than waiting till he became older.
3. Find a way - Walt wanted to be a part of the army so that he could help the country but wasn’t able to do so because he was underage. However, he joined the Red Cross as an even better way to help.
4. Harness your powers - Walt had a talent for art and creativity. He used that to his advantage to become successful.
5. Move on - When something didn’t work out for him, he didn’t dwell upon it. There’s always something else you can do.
6. Don’t settle when you achieve success - Walt achieved success early on with his second company but he didn’t stop there. He expanded and challenged himself to create more.
7. If it doesn’t exist, create it - Before Disneyland, theme parks did not exist. Walt saw an opportunity to create something new.
Through history and through society we have been taught to believe many different things to be true in life. Our parents passed these beliefs down to us, we were taught these in school, and we just came to believe them because others did as well. However, here are 11 beliefs I’ve found to be untrue.
1. Life is hard
Life and the obstacles you encounter are only as hard as you make them. People are always complaining that their lives are so hard, but they never keep in mind that someone else has it worse. If you’re reading this, then your life is far better and easier than most in the world. If you think about it, life isn’t really that hard, at times it’s only challenging, and you create those challenges.
2. It takes a long time to achieve success and change
We are taught that we must work for many, many years before we can achieve success. However, success can be achieved in a matter of weeks. With the state of technology and the world, never has there been a time when success can come to someone so quickly.
3. Life is short
Our time on this earth is a paradox. It’s not a lot of time, yet it is. We can all accomplish so much in our short lives. We can go from poverty to prosperity, obscurity to celebrity, and we can change the world. You can’t say you have no time to achieve your goals, there’s plenty of time, yet there’s not enough time in our lives to wait.
4. You need money to make money
Money is not the most crucial part of achieving success and wealth. Action and persistence are. When you have no money you will find a way to get what you need.
5. School is important
To a point, education is very important. I believe that everyone should graduate from high school or obtain a GED. But if you didn’t or don’t excel in school, don’t sweat it. Your grades will not determine your destiny. Obviously certain career choices require you to graduate from college. The stigma of not attending college after high school should be lost in our society. You’ll learn more lessons from real life experiences than you will in any school.
6. Rich get richer, poor get poorer
It frustrates me whenever someone says this. How can this be true with all the rags to riches stories that exist? Some times rich get richer , some times rich lost their fortunes, and sometimes poor people don’t get anywhere. But believing this cliché shows that you have no hope or ambition for yourself and others.
7. You need two parents
Many people have grown up in so called “broken” homes with a single parent. Others look down upon this and believe nothing good can come out of a single parent household. Unfortunately there are statistics that back up this belief. But there are also plenty of others who have changed the stats. You do not need both parents to become successful and a productive citizen. If anything, the obstacles of a single parent household fosters creativity and ambition.
8. You’re lucky if you’re born rich
I think you’re lucky if you’re not. When you grow up in a modest or poor household, you know the value of a dollar, the hard work it takes to succeed, and you understand what others are going through. Now I’m not saying you won’t have these qualities if you’re born rich, there are expectations to everything.
9. Get a high paying job
People who grew up during the depression are firm believers in this. However, it’s more important to have a highly rewarding job. Money can only make you so happy. Having a career or job that makes you feel happy and fulfilled is much better.
10. Life is unfair
Life may appear to be unfair at times. For example, you may have been working at a company for years. You haven’t received a promotion or raise. Then a new guy comes in, does a good job the first week, brings in new clients, and gets a promotion already. It may seem unfair, but is it really? May be the new guy received praise and a raise for a reason that benefits you. May be it was a sign for you to leave that workplace and chase your dreams of something better. We each know someone who seems to have it easier than us. Perhaps you know a guy who dropped out of high school, while you went on to spend years in college. You got a low paying job while having enormous loans hanging over your head, while the dropout won the lottery. Is it unfair, or does it make you a better person?
11. A learning disability means you’re not intelligent
People who grew up with a learning disability know this belief to be untrue. But many of those who don’t have a disability believe it to be true. Many intelligent and successful people including Charles Schwab, Tommy Hilfiger, Richard Branson, and Anderson Cooper have or had a learning disability. Many students with learning disabilities are looked down upon by their peers as being stupid. A learning disability only means you learn and must be taught in a different way. I’ve seen many students with disabilities surpass their peers without disabilities because they have to work twice as hard to get to the same level as them. These students develop an amazing amount of drive and success for themselves.
