5 Inspiring People Who Started With Nothing and Changed the World

A lot of people dream about being successful and achieving their dreams.

Maybe, you've got a ‘big’ dream but you’re worried that it will never be anything more than a fantasy.

You’re worried that you’re just not capable enough. To be successful at something requires a great deal of skill, talent and even luck, right?

What if I told you that success is in your own hands? And that if you want it bad enough, there’s just one thing you need to do?

Well…it’s true and if you let me, I’ll prove it to you.

I’d like to share with you how five ordinary people just like you and I literally changed the world.

They were certainly not lucky, and even skill and talent are not the reason that they achieved their big dream.

Rather they all shared one thing in common….they worked their butts off and they never gave up!

It’s that simple.

If you want your big dream bad enough, read these 5 short stories. They will certainly inspire you and make you believe that you really can do anything.

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss is an incredibly successful person.

You probably grew up reading his books such as ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘Green Eggs and Ham’.

But did you know that his first children’s book “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” was refused by 27 publishers?

It’s clear that Dr Seuss didn’t just take no for an answer. Like Colonel Sanders, he persevered until he finally heard that “yes!”

Now, Dr Seuss is a legendary and world famous children’s author. His books have sold over 600 million copies! And I bet you’re glad for that, too. I know reading his books has given me many great childhood memories.

Thomas Edison

What would the world be like if Thomas Edison had given up trying to invent the light bulb?

He could have easily decided that it was too much of an impossible goal. After all, he failed at it 1000 times.

Maybe you’re thinking that Thomas was simply destined to be successful and that he breezed through life with his amazing skill and intellect. Well, actually Thomas had to work harder than many of us.

During school, he had trouble learning the traditional way. His teachers even told him that he was “too stupid to learn anything”. Later, he was fired from his first two jobs for being too “unproductive”.

Despite his difficulties and failures, Thomas never stopped fighting for his dream.

”Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time”. -Thomas Edison

Thomas always kept trying!

He is now one of the most successful and influential people in the world, having invented the light bulb, phonograph, moving camera along with many other things.

I think it’s safe to say that Thomas Edison was one of the most determined people who ever lived.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was not always destined to become an NBA player, let alone an NBA superstar.

Growing up, Michael was viewed as the ‘goofy’ kid who liked basketball. He wasn’t very tall and didn’t come from an athletic family.

He was determined. Michael had many setbacks and failures but his hard work eventually paid off.

“I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed”. -Michael Jordan

When Michael first entered the league, his jump shot was not good enough. So, he spent his off-season practicing hundreds of jump shots every day until they were perfect.

In high school, Michael was even rejected from the basketball team. It’s hard to believe, right?

For every weakness, Michael found a way to turn it into a strength and he never gave up. Today, we know him as the greatest basketball player of all time.

Steven Spielberg

We all know Steven Spielberg as one of the most famous film makers in history. But did you ever consider how he got to be where he is?

Steven was highly determined and knew what he wanted from a young age. So, he took every opportunity he could to grow as a film maker and gain valuable knowledge from others.

Can you believe that he even snuck into a filming of a real movie at the age of 17 while on a tour at Universal Studios?

After that, he spent his summers meeting directors, writers, and editors and learning from every conversation he had.

Steven had many challenges along the way including being rejected by the University of California of Cinematic Arts (his dream school) multiple times. That didn’t stop him from reaching his dream.

It wasn’t luck that got Steven where he is today, but rather hard work and a never dying commitment to making his dream a reality.

Colonel Sanders

You probably noticed Colonel Sanders in the window of your local KFC branch as you munched on that juicy piece of fried chicken. After all, he is possibly the world’s most recognizable commercial icon.

But did you know that before all the fame, Colonel Sanders was simply a retiree with a fried chicken recipe, a restaurant that was going broke and a dream?

That’s right. In fact, the only thing that made him different from the average person was his fascinating level of determination. Believe it or not, Colonel Sanders drove around the country sleeping in his car and knocking on doors trying to promote his fried chicken recipe.

Amazingly, he was rejected 1009 times until finally, someone said yes! And that was the start of the million dollar empire KFC.

Why did he succeed?

He succeeded because he wasn't willing to let the word ‘no’ stop him from achieving his dream and he kept persevering. He wasn't born into success and it certainly wasn't luck that gone him there either. He simply worked and worked and never gave up until he succeeded.

Conclusion

Again, we learn that the secret to success is not luck or destiny, rather it’s as simple as hard work and perseverance.

Do you believe it now? Do you believe that with hard work and perseverance, you can reach your big dream and even change the world?

It’s easy to look at all the ‘big shots’ and celebrities as if they are on another level to you- that they are just made for success and that for you, success is nothing but a fairy tale.

But when you take a real look at how these people came to be where they are, you’ll notice that most of them started off just like you and I.

Hopefully, you realize now that you can achieve anything in this life. No matter how big it may seem, just persevere and never give up.

I challenge you from today onward to get out there and fight for your dream!

See Also: 5 Habits Of Successful People You Should Be Following Today