Overcome
Overcome
History is riddled with stories of famous people who have succeeded despite their humble and troubled beginnings. They came from hard times but ended up accomplishing great things throughout their life – accomplishments that have sometimes changed how we live our lives today. Many of these stories you have heard, while some others might surprise you.
Thomas Edison
Edison was called stupid because he was dyslexic, yet he went on to become one of the world’s greatest inventors.
J.K. Rowling
J.K.’s family was poor growing up and she became a single mother after a bad divorce. She went on to write the Harry Potter franchise and was the reason I changed my middle name to Dumbledore.
Lance Armstrong
Lance overcame testicular cancer that had spread throughout his body and then went on to win the Tour de France seven more times!
Winston Churchill
Churchill was a stutterer who also did bad in school. He became a the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and a powerful and dynamic speaker.
Stephen Spielberg
Spielberg was rejected three times from film school and eventually dropped out of college to pursue directing, becoming arguably one of the best directors of all time.
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin had one year of schooling, but through his life, taught himself four languages, finance, politics, and science. Franklin is recognized as a brilliant inventor and diplomat.
The list literally goes on and on…
The perplexing question is why did they succeed where others, with similar backgrounds, didn’t?
These people who did something epic with their life could have easily stumbled and not gotten back up. They could have let their past dictate their future. That is what many people do today – because that is the easy thing to do.
It is very easy to blame where we came from for our current situation in life.
Forget Your History, Live Your Future
I know how you feel.
You’re pissed.
You’re angry.
You’re sad.
You think you’re alone and that no one has experienced what you have.
Maybe it was your parents. They were too caught up in what was going on in their lives to be any type of positive role model for you.
Maybe you suffered a devastating injury.
Maybe you were poor.
Maybe it is that nothing ever goes right for you.
Maybe you can’t find a job?
Maybe you don’t have the nice clothes that everyone else has?
Maybe you just don’t fit in?
Maybe it was something worse.
You must remember this: If we live in the past we can never be in the present or live for the future.
I’m here to scream directly in your face that you can be great despite your past. Despite the fact that life has seemingly given you more obstacles to climb than others.
“Why does success come so easy for others but you have to work so hard for everything you have? Because it takes a real champion to come from behind and earn it.” – Jim Smith
Because you will have to work harder than those who have come from privilege, your victory will be much sweeter. You’ll appreciate each goal that you achieve on a more deeper level.
Overcoming your mental roadblocks and finally living your passion can be done, if you listen very closely to the two things that I’m about to tell you.
You’ve Got to Be Hungry
Tony Robbins states that successful people ALL have one thing in common – they are “hungry.”
Irregardless of their past, they succeed because they are hungry for something more. They are not happy with where they came from, but they will not stop until they achieve the highest level of their potential. They want something better for themselves and their family. And they know they have a purpose greater than what they’re doing now.
That is why they win.
If you are hungry, hungrier than someone who has more advantages, you will win. The same thing happens in the gym and in sport. Give me someone who has average genetics, but will work their butt off like a savage – over someone who has the best genetics and is lazy.
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” – Marcus Aurelius
This isn’t a game.
This is your life and you only have one shot.
Never be satisfied.
Be hungry.
Belief in Yourself
The second universal truth in success is that you have to believe in yourself.
“Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also.” – Marcus Aurelius
Earl Nightingale has a famous audio broadcast he recorded back in the 1950’s called The Strangest Secret. In this powerful message Earl, a famous motivational speaker, talks about belief in yourself.
If you think that you’re lazy and you’ll never amount to anything, guess what, you’ll be lazy and you’ll be stuck in a van down by the river.
If you are miserable and constantly talk negatively, guess what, you’ll be a negative person and people won’t like to be around you.
But…
If you think that you’re a positive person and you know the value of hard work, you are going to be someone that people can count on when times get tough and you’ll alwayspersevere.
If you think that you are a winner and you respect others, you’ll be someone that is respected.
If you think that you can achieve great things, you will. It is that simple.
Change your mindset.
Those are the two most powerful lessons that you will ever learn; be hungry and believe in yourself. Do not let your history prevent you from living your dreams.
Yes, those things happened to you.
Those things changed your for the better, not the worst. Remember, change your mindset.
Now you have more compassion for others who are suffering. Now you are a survivor. Now you are someone who can OVERCOME.
When you change your mindset, you will change your life. The past is the past, let it stay there. Do not waste your potential and your life, giving value to the things that don’t define who you really are inside.
Who you really are, is someone that is powerful. Someone who has no limitations and is free to take action. Someone who is resilient and lives with passion.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
#Idareyoutosucceed
#teamdiesel
Smitty
By Smitty on March 16th, 2012
FREE DIESEL NEWSLETTER
- Discover Pain Free, Joint-Friendly Training
- Get Super Effective Workouts and Programs
- Inspirational Life Lessons Each Week
- Effective Habits For Busy Entrepreneurs
The hungerier you are – the sweeter the victories.
Yessir, thanks for reading Paul.
Nice one bro, another awesome slap in the face for some.
Thanks Scott.
Excellent entry, Smitty… keep it coming!
Thanks Trish.
smitty your the man..keep em coming they are an excellent source of motivation
Thank YOU Jon!
hey smithy great post….I think I’ll borrow it 😉
BOOM!
Thanks brother.
Great motivation, when it comes down do it, there’s not really a good excuse for anything. Someone has done more with less.
Yessir, thanks Tyler.