"I just don't think..."
Have you ever had someone tell you that you can't do something? That you should just 'settle' for something less than your goal? That what you want is beyond reach or unrealistic?
Happens all the time. People try to steal your dreams away.
This weekend I got a quick reminder of how much someone can accomplish if they ignore the naysayers.
I and my wife Holly went to the Arnold Classic with Nick Berry and his fiance' (yep - he's getting married. Bet there are hearts breaking worldwide over that.) The event was cool, but a couple of people stood out to me.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - amazing. Here's a guy who came from tiny Austria, a country with a population of a little more than 8 million (which makes it about 2/3 the size of Ohio) in central Europe. He left bodybuilding at age 28 (though he did have a comeback 5 years later) as the greatest bodybuilder the sport had ever seen. Most people would consider that a lifetime worth of achievement. But that was just the beginning...
When he decided to embark on an acting career, he was repeatedly told he didn't stand a chance because of his thick accent, unpronouncable last name and overly large muscles.
Seemed to work out ok.
He then jumped into the political arena, and despite having no political background and being a Republican in a predominantly Democratic state - won the governor's office by a decided margin.
He's estimated to have a net worth of over 800 million dollars and made his first million before the age of 30...long before the acting riches started rolling in.
He also married a Kennedy.
Not too bad for a guy that could barely speak english when he came to the U.S.
And the other inspirational figure on the trip:
Randy Couture - 43 years old. Damn. He pretty much manhandled a guy 13 years younger, 40 lbs heavier, 6 inches taller with a much better record to regain the UFC's Heavyweight Title.
While the whole arena and probably 90% of those watching on Pay Per View were rooting for Courture to beat Tim Silvia - most all of them were hoping rather than expecting a Courture victory. What ensued was a Rocky-like performance that evoked cheers in the BW 3's we watched from that are typically reserved for Superbowls or Ohio State - Michigan games.
Regardless of your opinion of Arnold, Bodybuilding, Politics, Randy Courture or the UFC - these two guys both ignored the naysayers and overcame long odds to climb to the tops of their respective fields. They both reminded me that achieving your goals - regardless of how lofty - is simply a matter of staing the course and ignoring the naysayers.
What's standing in your way?
On a side note - We watched A.J. Roberts barely miss a 1003 lb squat Sunday morning. He's only 21...can you imagine what A.J.'s going to accomplish by the time he's 30? He has a new product coming out tomorrow - Ultimate Program Design - where he shares expert interviews with about a dozen of the industry's elite strength coaches as well as his own expertise. It's going to be a must addition to your library.
Happens all the time. People try to steal your dreams away.
This weekend I got a quick reminder of how much someone can accomplish if they ignore the naysayers.
I and my wife Holly went to the Arnold Classic with Nick Berry and his fiance' (yep - he's getting married. Bet there are hearts breaking worldwide over that.) The event was cool, but a couple of people stood out to me.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - amazing. Here's a guy who came from tiny Austria, a country with a population of a little more than 8 million (which makes it about 2/3 the size of Ohio) in central Europe. He left bodybuilding at age 28 (though he did have a comeback 5 years later) as the greatest bodybuilder the sport had ever seen. Most people would consider that a lifetime worth of achievement. But that was just the beginning...
When he decided to embark on an acting career, he was repeatedly told he didn't stand a chance because of his thick accent, unpronouncable last name and overly large muscles.
Seemed to work out ok.
He then jumped into the political arena, and despite having no political background and being a Republican in a predominantly Democratic state - won the governor's office by a decided margin.
He's estimated to have a net worth of over 800 million dollars and made his first million before the age of 30...long before the acting riches started rolling in.
He also married a Kennedy.
Not too bad for a guy that could barely speak english when he came to the U.S.
And the other inspirational figure on the trip:
Randy Couture - 43 years old. Damn. He pretty much manhandled a guy 13 years younger, 40 lbs heavier, 6 inches taller with a much better record to regain the UFC's Heavyweight Title.
While the whole arena and probably 90% of those watching on Pay Per View were rooting for Courture to beat Tim Silvia - most all of them were hoping rather than expecting a Courture victory. What ensued was a Rocky-like performance that evoked cheers in the BW 3's we watched from that are typically reserved for Superbowls or Ohio State - Michigan games.
Regardless of your opinion of Arnold, Bodybuilding, Politics, Randy Courture or the UFC - these two guys both ignored the naysayers and overcame long odds to climb to the tops of their respective fields. They both reminded me that achieving your goals - regardless of how lofty - is simply a matter of staing the course and ignoring the naysayers.
What's standing in your way?
On a side note - We watched A.J. Roberts barely miss a 1003 lb squat Sunday morning. He's only 21...can you imagine what A.J.'s going to accomplish by the time he's 30? He has a new product coming out tomorrow - Ultimate Program Design - where he shares expert interviews with about a dozen of the industry's elite strength coaches as well as his own expertise. It's going to be a must addition to your library.
posted by Pat Rigsby at 1:55 PM
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