Tai Lopez is an iconic investor, entrepreneur, social media influencer, and advisor. He’s also a multi-millionaire who owns popular companies like Bodybuilding.com, Pier 1, RadioShack, and Stein Mart just to name a few. Tai has come a long way since his early days as the internet entrepreneur who took YouTube by storm with his extremely popular books over Lamborghini ads. Needless to say, he has a long track record of success in the world of business and marketing, which is one of the reasons we decided to round up of some of the best Tai Lopez quotes for success.

Our hope is that you’ll be able to leverage some of his wisest admonishments without having to watch countless hours of videos or scroll through page after page of his writeups to get his best advice. So, if you’re ready to learn and thing or two about success form Tai Lopez’s own words, then let’s dive into these quotes:

BEST TAI LOPEZ QUOTES FOR SUCCESS

1. “True wealth is being able to drop whatever it is your doing and go do something else or travel somewhere else without any worry.” – Tai Lopez

2. “People think I’m joking when i say that whoever experiments the most in life wins. But I’m not…” – Tai Lopez

3. “To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want.” – Tai Lopez

4. “Whatever it is you fear… have twice as much courage on it this year.” – Tai Lopez

5. “Ever expert was once a beginner. So dream big and start now.” – Tai Lopez

6. “If it won’t matter in one week, one month, or one year, then don’t worry about it.” – Tai Lopez

7. “You can get most things you want in life. It’s just that most goals will take one or two years longer than expected. Be patient.” – Tai Lopez

8. “Don’t let procrastination kill your dreams and hopes.” – Tai Lopez

9. “I’ve never met someone successful that’s not highly conscientious, that doesn’t have a super power of conscientiousness.” – Tai Lopez

10. “Obsessed is a word often used by the lazy to describe the dedicated.” – Tai Lopez

11. “One thing I’ve noticed with the successful. They don’t spend a lot of time on the past.” – Tai Lopez

12. “The penalty for procrastination is the loss of hopes and dreams.” – Tai Lopez

13. “Remember, after knowledge you must strategize and execute.” – Tai Lopez

14. “Never wait until it’s too late. Don’t let tragedy be your only trigger for revaluation and action.” – Tai Lopez

15. “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with the big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.” – Tai Lopez

16. “To create real wealth, make someone else wealthy first. This is the law of the mentor/apprentice.” – Tai Lopez

17. “Never be desperate for what you want. Just be focused on what you want.” – Tai Lopez

18. “You have to be “impatiently patient.” Impatient to get started but patiently persevere to finish what you started.” – Tai Lopez

19. “Stay away from negative people. They don’t use their energy to improve their own life, instead they use it to bring you down.” – Tai Lopez

20. “My favorite way to make money is while I sleep.” – Tai Lopez

21. “Experiment with your own routine until you find one that makes you hyper-productive.” – Tai Lopez

22. You have to know how to find motivation deep within yourself. Once you have motivation, you have no problem with procrastination.” – Tai Lopez

23. “Everybody wants the good life but not everybody is willing to toughen up to get the good life. You must toughen up.” – Tai Lopez

24. “Divide up your life. Spend 33% of your time around people lower than you, you can mentor them. Spend 33% of your time with people that are on your level – your friends and peers. Spend 33% of your time with people that are 10-20 years ahead of you. Those are your mentors.” – Tai Lopez

25. “Money doesn’t bring happiness, but the absence of money brings unhappiness.” – Tai Lopez

26. “I always say you should learn from somebody who is like ten levels above you.” – Tai Lopez

27. “Everything wrong in your life is just a sign. A signal to change. Be humble enough to bow your knee and listen and act.” – Tai Lopez

28. “Before you go out and occupy Wall Street, occupy your own brain!” – Tai Lopez

29. “Increase your attention span. Your ability to concentrate predicts your long-term success at almost anything.” – Tai Lopez

30. “The goal of life is to enjoy your life. To do something important.” – Tai Lopez

31. “You can run from your problems but not from the flaws in your thinking. Always start by fixing your brain. Train it to remove logical fallacies.” – Tai Lopez

32. “Make money yes. But be sure in doing so you don’t neglect your body. Nothing matters if your body falls apart.” – Tai Lopez

33. “If I could have one super power, without a doubt, it would be the ability to stay cool under intense pressure. What could be more important?” – Tai Lopez

34. “The current education system forgot, you have to inspire kids. You can’t just lecture them.” – Tai Lopez

35. “If all you do is look forward to the weekend, holidays and time away from your job, you have a serious problem.”  – Tai Lopez

36. “You only learn from mistakes, that’s the law of nature, but there is no rule that they have to be yours” – Tai Lopez

37. “The most important skill is to pass your skills on other people” – Tai Lopez

38. “Be humble. Persevere. Read more. Toughen up.” – Tai Lopez

39. “The day you figure out your career destiny is the day your true financial freedom begins.” – Tai Lopez

40. “The space between failure and success seems large. It’s not. The difference between a good carpenter and a bad one is about a quarter of an inch.” – Tai Lopez

41. “Whenever I feel like whining, I remind myself “Wake up Tai, this world doesn’t owe you anything.” – Tail Lopez

42. “The goal of life is to enjoy your life, to do something important.” – Tai Lopez

43. “80% of our problems can be fixed with 10 minutes of deep thinking with a notepad and pen, and then doing step three which is getting off our but and doing it.” – Tai Lopez

44. “Never feel sorry for yourself, just get up and go do sh**. I am telling you, feeling sorry for yourself is a trap. It’s a never ending sinkhole that you’ll go deeper and deeper and you won’t get anywhere.” – Tai Lopez

45. “Ask yourself, “What’s a skill that matches my personality that I can scale to infinity?”, and that’s where wealth comes from.” – Tai Lopez

46. “Wealth is created by a combination of many things, but one of them is catching new trends early.” – Tai Lopez

47. “Money is made on the edge.” – Tai Lopez

Final Thoughts

There you have it, some of the best Tai Lopez quotes about success and achievement. If you enjoyed them and you think someone else would as well, please share them.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these Tai Lopez quotes, then we have a hunch you’ll also enjoy these Dan Lok quotes or even these Ed Mylett quotes.

Dan Lok is the well known serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and influencer who immigrated to North America, was once poor, overcame over $150,000 in debt, and eventually became a multimillionaire by the age of 30. He’s since acquired over 10 million + followers and growing across all of his brands, and now has a handful of companies that have grossed over $100 million in revenue in just a few short years. Dan is also a best-selling author of 12 different books. That said, Dan Lok knows a thing or two about success, which is why we’ve decided to publish these inspiring Dan Lok quotes on success.

We’ve rounded up some of his most insightful and poignant success quotes to help you stay inspired and keep believing in the success that you’re after. Because of Dan Lok can overcome $150K in debt, fail at 13 different businesses, and still come ahead as the massive success he is, so can you. So, if you’re ready learn for some of Dan Lok’s best quotes, then let’s dive right in:

BEST DAN LOK QUOTES FOR SUCCESS

1. “Rich people believe: If it’s going to be, it is up to me. I’m going to make it happen. I’m going to make myself successful.” – Dan Lok

2. “Without a strong vision for your future you’ll always return to your past.” – Dan Lok

3. “Most people won’t do whatever it takes to quit their job.” – Dan Lok

4. “Who would’ve thought a poor immigrant boy could accomplish so much?” – Dan Lok

5. “If you are focused on delivering value, money comes.” – Dan Lok

6. “If you want a different life from everyone else, stop doing the same things their doing.” – Dan Lok

7. “People don’t buy products and services. They buy stories.”

8. “Never regret a day in your life. The bad days bring lessons and experience, while the good days bring happiness, memories and success.”

9. “Wherever your attention goes, energy flows and results show.” – Dan Lok

10. “Getting rich is not an act, it is a habit.” – Dan Lok

11. “Most entrepreneurs fail because they underestimate the difficulty and the effort that it takes to succeed.” – Dan Lok

12. “If you study failure and avoid those, the chance of you succeeding becomes much higher.” – Dan Lok

13. “Wealth is not just measured by how much money you have, wealth is measured more in time than in just money.” – Dan Lok

14. “Wealth is not measured in how much money you make, it’s how fast you make that money.”

15. “The amount of money you make is in direct proportion to how deeply you understand your marketplace’s pain.” – Dan Lok

16. “Once you know how to work hard, you need to know how to work smart.” – Dan Lok

17. “Rich people, we value time more than we value money. Poor people, they value money more than they value time.” – Dan Lok

18. “I got rich when I started valuing my time. Most people never get rich because they never value their time.” – Dan Lok

19. “Poor people blame others for their misfortunes, rich people, we take responsibility for our own failures.” – Dan Lok

20. “Lame people blame people.” – Dan Lok

21. “What holds most people back is this one thing, and that is: ego.” – Dan Lok

22. “You can make money, or you can make excuses, but you can’t do both.” – Dan Lok

23. “An excuse is nothing more than a well planned lie.” – Dan Lok

24. “Poor people watch T.V., rich people read books.” – Dan Lok

25. “Poor people get paid based on time, rich people get paid based on results.” – Dan Lok

26. “The secret to having it all is knowing you already do.” – Dan Lok

27. “Your income can only grow to the extent that you do, your wealth can only grow as fast as you do.” – Dan Lok

28. “Poor people, they have a lottery mentality. Rich people, we have an action mentality.” – Dan Lok

29. “All thoughts turn in to things eventually.” – Dan Lok

30. “Rich people do what is hard, that is why their life is easy.” – Dan Lok

31. “Smart people have good answers. Geniuses have good questions.” – Dan Lok

32. “I was the invisible kid.”

33. “You’ll never outperform your internal self-image.” – Dan Lok

34. “You can’t get rich, looking poor.” – Dan Lok

35. “Be who you are, not who people want you to be.” – Dan Lok

Bonus Dan Lok Quote

Bonus: Alright, here’s our final Dan Lok quote. We listed as a bonus because we want you to give extra attention to it. Why? Because it may just change your life. Enjoy.

“Live Your Life As If All Your Dreams Have Come True, And Then Challenge Your Reality To Catch Up.”

– dan lok –

Final Thoughts

There you have it, the best of the best Dan Lok quotes for success. Hopefully these quotes inspired you as much as they inspired us. Give them a read often, and let them prompt you to take appropriate action that your success and goals require to be obtained.

If you want learn more about Dan, be sure to check out his channel on YouTube.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these Dan Lok quotes for success, then chances are you’ll love these success quotes by Grant Cardone or even these action-oriented Gary Vee quotes.

Colonel Sanders is the American businessman and genius behind the iconic Kentucky Fried Chicken brand and recipe. His success journey was long and arduous, and he didn’t “hit it big” until after the age of 65. But, he finally achieved lasting fortune and fame by never giving up and continually searching for ways to be of service to others. To ensure his legacy persists, we’ve decided round up some of our favorite Colonel Sanders quotes for success.

We believe success leaves clues, and Colonel Harland Sanders has left us many success gems hidden within his own words. So, if you’re ready sift through some of his most insightful quotes to see what they can teach us, then let’s dive right in:

BEST COLONEL SANDERS QUOTES ON SUCCESS

1. “Everyone has a potential to be something huge. Not everyone sees it.” – Colonel Sanders

2. “I think each of the failures I had to face provided me with the opportunity of starting again and trying something new.” – Colonel Sanders

3. “I think a dream is just a suggestion to start something out, do something.” – Colonel Sanders

4. “No hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me.” – Colonel Sanders

5. “I’ve only had two rules. Do all you can and do it the best you can.” – Colonel Sanders

6. “I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.” – Colonel Sanders

7.  “My life is devoted to business and supporting my family.” – Colonel Sanders

8. “The easy way is efficacious and speedy, the hard way arduous and long. But, as the clock ticks, the easy way becomes harder and the hard way becomes easier.” – Colonel Sanders

9. “I just say the moral out of my life is don’t quit at age 65, maybe your boat hasn’t come in yet. Mine hadn’t.” – Colonel Sanders

10. “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.” – Colonel Sanders

11. “I was sixty-six years old. I still had to make a living. I looked at my social security check of 105 dollars and decided to use that to try to franchise my chicken recipe. Folks had always liked my chicken.” – Colonel Sanders

12. “A lot of learned men think people really are the food they’ve eaten.” – Colonel Sanders

13. “Service is the best thing in the world you can give your customers.” – Colonel Sanders

14. “Sitting in a rocker never appealed to me. Golf or fishing isn’t as much fun as working.” – Colonel Sanders

15. “The hard way builds solidly a foundation of confidence that cannot be swept away.” – Colonel Sanders

16. “Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a byproduct of providing a useful service.” – Colonel Sanders

17. “I feed truck drivers, millionaires all at the same table.” – Colonel Sanders

18. “Don’t be against things so much as for things.” – Colonel Sanders

19. “I’m against retiring. The thing that keeps a man alive is having something to do.” – Colonel Sanders

20. “The hard way builds solidly a foundation of confidence that cannot be swept away.” – Colonel Sanders

21. “Work is the basis for living. I’ll never retire. A man will rust out quicker than he’ll ever wear out. And I’ll be darned if I’ll ever rust out.” – Colonel Sanders

22. “There’s no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery. You can’t do any business from there.” – Colonel Sanders

23. “If you’re a dreamer and a doer, back up your dreams.” – Colonel Sanders

24. “I couldn’t afford to quit.” – Colonel Sanders

25. “There’s something inside of me that makes me want to help people, especially people who are having difficulty of some kind.” – Colonel Sanders

26. “People are just like farm equipment. They rust out quicker than they wear out.” – Colonel Sanders

27. “If you follow the formula and the procedures shown… your success is assured.  There’s no question about it.” – Colonel Sanders

28. “Have ambition to work, willingness to work and integrity in what you do.” – Colonel Sanders

29. “You can always take something in your life and make it better.” – Colonel Sanders

30. “Feed the poor and get rich or feed the rich and get poor.” – Colonel Sanders

31. “When I started this chicken business… I prayed to God that he’d make it a success.  And I hope that I have and am still doing it.” – Colonel Sanders

32. “I still believe in the importance of charity, which means giving to God his just measure of goods he has seen fit to bestow on you in the form of material gain.  When I started out in the franchise business, I didn’t know exactly what I was doing by promising God his part if he helped make my enterprise a success, but I now think that that is the reason for my success ever since.” – Colonel Sanders

33. “You got to like your work. You have to like what you are doing, you have got to be doing something worthwhile so you can like it — because it is worthwhile, that it makes a difference, don’t you see?” – Colonel Sanders

34. “To me, my recipes are priceless.” – Colonel Sanders

35. “I just say the moral out of my life is don’t quit at age 65, maybe your boat hasn’t come in yet. Mine hadn’t.” – Colonel Sanders

36. “I had a moral obligation to give people something good, something worthwhile.” – Colonel Sanders

37. “The thing that keeps a man alive is having something to do.” – Colonel Sanders

38. “For me, money is not everything. I was more interested in doing good and helping people.” – Colonel Sanders

39. “I think as long as you’ve got health and ability, use it.” – Colonel Sanders

Bonus Colonel Sanders Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite Colonel Sanders quote. We added it as bonus, because we stand behind it, and believe it to be 100% true.

“Hard Work Beats All The Tonics And Vitamins In The World.”

– colonel sanders –

Related: Colonel Sanders Success Story

FINAL THOUGHTS

Great job making it to the end of these Colonel Sanders quotes for success. We hope you caught a few glimpses of what led to Colonel Sanders’ staggering success and his lasting legacy.

That said, if you enjoyed any one particular quote, please share it or share this page with someone who could use a good word or insight from good Ole Harland David Sanders.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

When we look at the people who’ve had great success in life, we often wonder how they reached that point. In some cases, we notice it has been due to dubious dealings, but for the most part, the success that achievers enjoy all boils down to one simple thing: having a good work ethic. Most CEOs of large corporations, A-list movie stars, and high-earning athletes all got to where they are due to hard work. So, what are some of the characteristics of a good work ethic?

Well, having a good work ethic shows up in how a person conducts themselves in terms of their respective job or field of expertise. Those who obtain success generally have a good work ethic at their core. Some characteristics include being punctual, prioritizing, showing professionalism, going the extra mile, being disciplined, and having an eagerness to do great work.

Regardless of the field of work you are in; there is always emphasis on the fundamentals of a good work ethic to get hired, get ahead, or progress with a company. Its a tried and true recipe that many have adopted. With that said, our aim is to help you find more success in all aspects of your life, as such, we’ll be uncovering the top aspects of a good work ethic, to help stand out and make progress towards finding more success both on the job and in your life.

So, if you’re ready to learn more about the top traits of a good work ethic, let’s dive on in:

GOOD WORK ETHIC CHARACTERISTIC TO ADOPT FOR MORE SUCCESS

1.  Time Management And Being Punctual:

Showing up on time is a terrifically advantageous move on anyone’s part, and this is what we see in those that have made their mark. By managing their time accordingly and ensuring that they are never late to work, meetings, or responsibilities in general, these people are a step ahead of the rest.

People who arrive on time, being early is better, are perceived as dependable and showing that they value their work and prioritize starting on time. You will also find that people who arrive early to work often stay past the hour when they could be clocking out.

Adopting this sort of mentality will aid your work life and spill over into the other areas of life. 

2. Prioritization And Productivity:

There are times when the workflow is jam-packed, and one needs to be able to prioritize tasks to ensure that their productivity stays at a steady pace. People who know how to distinguish between what is vital and what can wait save themselves a lot of headaches and stress.   

By working in this fashion, one can offer more significant outputs than their colleagues, and they manage to complete more than what is merely required of them in a given timeframe. At times, one’s boss will guide them to learn how to increase productivity, but sometimes one has to demonstrate that they can organize themselves efficiently. 

Being more productive is ultimately likely to draw attention from relevant parties and see one receive better incentives.

3. Showing Initiative And Self-Discipline:

As seen in the previous point, one can almost always improve how one works. Making the process more seamless and streamlined comes with taking the initiative and being disciplined enough to get the job done without constantly being told what is required.

With self-discipline, one usually seeks to push themselves to do better and complete tasks without constant guidance and instruction. This sort of behavior makes one more confident as you feel more assertive and in charge of your role. It also shines a good light on you and will surely attract the attention of those around you.

4. Having Clear Goals:

Some of these previous points lead into and spawn from having preset goals and objectives that one needs to achieve within work and their life. People with a good work ethic are constantly striving towards something, and these goals are usually clear and concise. Another important factor is that they will have big ambitions, but they will also be realistic in setting the points they hope to reach.

Before setting out to pursue a goal, one has to know what the purpose is and how they will ultimately be reaching the mark set. So when setting goals, be sure to understand what is required of you fully and then try to push yourself to achieve what you have set out to do. 

5. Showing Dedication And Taking Pride In One’s Work:

Many of the other aspects of a good work ethic lead into and play a part in developing one’s dedication to their work and ultimately the pride they have for it. People who are dedicated to what they do will not be tardy, they will show initiative, and their productivity is usually relatively high.

This is because they have set themselves to the task of growing in whichever field they find themselves in. If you commit yourself to your work, you will find that you grow in your discipline, and you will constantly set goals that you are proud of achieving. We all know when we have given our best, and people who do so consistently are genuine assets to those around them.

Related: Work Ethic & Success

6. Not Afraid Of Failure:

One thing is certain: people who have seen success in life and who have a good work ethic are not scared of failing. No one enjoys failure, but instead of fearing and dreading the possibility of it, they embrace it as a learning curve.

People, who do not angst about whether they have made a mistake, are more likely to learn and push harder in the future.

It must be noted that not having a fear of failure does not equate to being willing to set yourself up for failure. Some people set themselves up for failure as they do not have a good work ethic. Instead, you should strive to succeed in all you do, and if you make a mistake, then take what you have learned from it and implement it when making future decisions.

7. Professionalism:

Out of all of the good work ethic qualities mentioned, this is one that gets overlooked the most; showing professionalism.

When we think of someone who exudes professionalism, various aspects come into play. From the way they speak, dress, and how they interact with others, one’s whole attitude comes into play. Someone who shows professionalism is polite, courteous, focused, and organized. 

To adopt the various aspects of professionalism, one needs first to have self-respect and respect for others. You then need to take your work seriously and utilize all the other attributes we have discussed. Being professional about things does not mean there is no enjoyment, but rather a certain air about how you conduct yourself in the workplace.

8. Being Cooperative And A Team Player:

Cooperative people are not pushovers. Instead, they are merely mature in their interpersonal skills and understand the importance of teamwork. People equipped with a good work ethic tend to make an effort to work well with others, even if they do not always agree with other people or like them in a personal capacity.

Such people realize that the work is a priority, and ensuring a harmonious environment to work in is something that aids this greatly. Having good manners and being polite come into play here as well as being able to handle conflict in a tactful way.  

9. Avoiding Distractions:

In years gone by, there were not as many distractions so readily available to us. And despite the wonder of the plethora of forms of communication and entertainment we have these days, they can cause one to become distracted from work. Now someone with a good work ethic will note the distractions that are tempting to them and find ways to avoid them.

In short, being able to stay focused and avoid distractions is key to having a good work ethic.

One way to do this is to not engage with personal or entertainment-based material. This can be done by having a work phone and a personal device. Then while at work, you only answer what is required for the job, and you restrict yourself to say only viewing your personal phone during lunch. This will aid in keeping you focused on the task at hand and keep your workflow going at a steady pace.

Related: Inspiring Work Ethic Quotes

10. Maintaining A Positive State Of Mind:

Although last on the list, this point is still incredibly vital when it comes to having a good work ethic. People who can keep a positive mindset tend to look for solutions instead of problems. They are thus more efficient at their jobs and are more likely to get along better with colleagues as they do not allow negative things to fester.

Keeping positive is not always easy, and on certain days, the best among us have probably succumbed to negative thinking. However, it is something which we need to practice and train ourselves to do to ensure that our overall work ethic is not affected.

Final Thoughts

We hope we answered your questions as to what are the 10 work ethics. To help it really stick, here’s a quick recap of the key characteristics of work ethics:

• Time Management and Punctuality
• Prioritization and Productivity
• Showing Initiative and Self-Discipline
• Having Clear goals
• Showing Dedication and Taking Pride In Your Work
• Not Being Afraid of Failure
• Professionalism
• Being Cooperative and a Team Player
• Avoiding Distractions
• Maintaining a Positive State of Mind

That said, a person with a good work ethic is not necessarily a robot; they are usually delightful and fun to be around. The only difference between someone who has a good work ethic and one who does not, is that the latter will likely stagnate in life and allow the hardships of life to break them down and discourage their progress.

“Developing A Good Work Ethic Is Key To Success. Apply Yourself At Whatever You Do, Whether You’re A Janitor Or Taking Your First Summer Job, Because That Work Ethic Will Be Reflected In Everything You Do.”

– tyler perry –

The opposite is true for someone with a good work ethic, as they are constantly striving to improve and do better. They are also consistent, which is a key factor to success. So if you are hoping to improve your overall work ethic, or if you’re seeking to encourage someone else, then this list is a great place to start the journey. 

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this breakdown of the top characteristics of a good work ethic, then you’ll enjoy this article as well: 10 Simple Ways To Develop a Good Work Ethic.

Success, it’s something we all strive for in some form or fashion, but what is it?  What is success?  There are multiple definitions these days.  However, there seems to be just one common thread that most people do agree on about success.  And that is this, that success is a biproduct of persisting in the face of failure.  So, that is what we hope to share with you on this page, inspirational success stories that clearly reveal the road commonly travelled by people who have achieved staggering success.

Our purpose in sharing these success stories is that they may encourage you to keep striving towards your dreams, and keep you believing that achieving the “impossible” is actually possible.

With that being said, here are the top success stories to inspire you to succeed in the face of failure, setbacks, and obstacles. If you are ready to be inspired, let’s dive in.

INSPIRING SUCCESS STORIES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

1. Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone has one of the most inspiring success stories. Before he made it big, he was essentially a starving artist. For many years after during and after his college years, he worked odd jobs to pay the bill while simultaneously taking on any acting roles he could find to keep his dreams of becoming a successful actor alive.

It was a struggle that Sylvester would endure for many years, seven in fact. Throughout all of those seven challenging years, Sylvester would gain a few small roles in a handful of movies, but nothing grand enough to get his career launched.

During those seven long years of striving, he came face-to-face with near poverty. Getting so desperate for money he at one point had to sell his wife’s jewelry out of desperation for money. He even had to sell his dog because he couldn’t keep him fed. And to top it all off, there came a point where Sylvester was homeless, and had to sleep outside for a number of days.

But, his days of struggle as an aspiring actor would not last forever. After facing seemingly insurmountable odds for over seven years, he would finally get his big break. And this break would come after he managed to get a script he wrote in a three day flurry of inspiration, in front of two big-shot directors in Hollywood.

It was this defining moment that would turn the tides for Sylvester Stallone, and his career would skyrocket after he negotiated the lead role in the film that would come to be known as ‘Rocky’.

Success eventually comes to those who always dream of her. For a more complete account of Sylvester Stallone’s inspiring success story, you can find it here.

2. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey’s success story is very unique. From a very early age she experienced a level of adversity and poverty that most people would struggle to overcome. She was born into poverty and a broken home in rural Mississippi. Her parents who were just 18 and 19 when they had her, split soon after she was born, so she ended up being taking in by her grand mother.

And her grandmother was not your typical warm and fuzzy grandmother. No, she was a hard-nosed grandmother who was an extreme disciplinarian who discipline her for even the slightest offenses. But, the poverty and disciplined lifestyle didn’t last forever as she moved back with mother at the age of six.

Oprah would then experience sexual assault at an early age, having been molested as early as 9 by some of her family members. And having been emotionally abandoned, abused, and molested, she eventually started part-taking in extremely risky behaviors which led to her becoming pregnant at the age of 14.

Because she got pregnant her mother kicked her out of the house, and she went to live with her father, only to go on to lose the baby a week after he was born.

Needless to say, Oprah’s early life was chockfull of struggle, adversity, and tragedy. But, regardless of all of her unfortunate experiences, she decided to turn her life around after she lost her baby. So, she committed herself to getting an education, becoming her best, and to going after her dreams.

She decided to start trusting herself again, and loving herself, and making choices that would improve her life versus destroy it. One day, she garnered enough confidence to participate in a beauty pageant. And it was her participation in this pageant that would eventually lead her into a job working for a radio station doing the news. Her love for speaking to an audience set the stage for continued success as she would go on to become a news anchor, which she would eventually leverage to host a TV chat show in Maryland, which ultimately led to her having her morning talk show in Chicago.

And as they say, the rest was history. Oprah overcame massive challenges in her youth. Challenges that side line all too many people. She chose to turn her wounds into wisdom, and went on to become one of the most successful talk show hosts in history (by helping many others do the same) with her own self-named talk show, The Oprah Winfrey show. And now she is considered one of the richest self-made women in America.

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Considering Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of the self-made man, we wouldn’t dare exclude him from our success stories collection. Having been born and raised in Austria, at a time where it was still healing from it’s defeat in World War II, the odds were already stacked against him.

Arnold grew up in a climate where alcoholism was rampant, where defeatism was the norm, and big dreaming was laughed at.

But Arnold didn’t care. He knew he didn’t want to live the traditional Austrian life his parents wanted for him, and he knew he wanted to move to America, the land of the free.

As such, he hatched a plan to become a success in body-building, and then use that success to get into movies. And sure enough he did just that. He went on to fulfill his vision by becoming the youngest man to ever win a Mr. Universe competition, and then on to win five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles.

After reaching what he set out to do in the sport of bodybuilding, he then went on to commit himself to the acting career he had always dreamed of. And sure enough, he would go on to conquer the film industry to the same degree that he conquered the body building world. Going on to star in multiple blockbuster movies that would gross over $3 billion, and earn him one of the most sizeable net worth’s in Hollywood.

You can find a more complete account of Arnold’s inspiring success story here.

4. JK Rowling

J.K Rowling had a dream of becoming a writer early on. But, she would have to persist for many years before her dream of becoming a published author would materialize. Almost as soon as she decided to get to work on putting her ideas down on paper for her book, she would be sidetracked by her mother’s death.

The depression that would ensue left Rowling seeking out a job as a teacher in another country. Soon after, she would get married and have a child, which would delay her aspirations even further.

But things weren’t done going off the rails for Rowling, as her marriage would abruptly end just one year after it began, leading her to be jobless with a child, and a barely surviving off of unemployment benefits.

However, despite her challenges, Rowling would persist in the creation of her book. And she did so by seizing every spare moment she could while her child slept to write. Until finally the day came when she completed her manuscript.

Of course, even after Rowling finished her manuscript obstacles still remained. 12 different publishers would reject her novel, and she found herself almost ready to quit before her manuscript would eventually get accepted. And it was at that moment, that J.K. Rowling’s luck turned around.

Now, J.K. Rowling is now one of the best selling authors of all time. In fact, she is the highest paid novelist in the world, with her books having been translated into over 80 different languages with over 500 million being sold. Clearly, persistence and patience pays off in the long run.

5. Steven Spielberg

Most people don’t know this, but Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times. But he didn’t let those rejections stop him, and he kept applying till he got accepted.  Eventually Cal State, Long Beach would accept him into their film program. 

Fortunately for Spielberg, he would then go on to leverage his opportunity at Cal State to land an unpaid internship at Universal Studios. 

Of course, this internship wouldn’t last forever, but it lasted just long enough for him to learn how sneak in to the studios undetected so he could continually gather intel on what it would take to become successful in the business. 

Finally, the day would come that he managed to get a film he created in the hands of film executives. But, he had to first overcome the film executives multiple attempts to make him give up.

After being told that the film size was not the right size multiple times, and remaking the entire demo to the recommended sizes every time, the executives finally relented and gave him his film a shot. The movie would go on to win major awards, and solidified Steven Spielberg’s place within the industry.

Steven Spielberg is now one of the most influential film makers in history and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. And out of all of our inspirational stories of success, his story in particular, shows, that if you knock long enough and hard enough, the doors of opportunity will eventually swing open for you.

Related: 5 Steps to Start Living Your Dreams

6. Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash has a truly inspiring success story. Mary Kay Ash was born in a small l town in Texas and got married and started a family at an extremely young age of 17. She went on to have three children with her husband who was in the military, but they eventually got a divorce.

Mary Kay would struggle for years to take care of her children on her own, taking various sales jobs in the direct selling industry, and striving to climb the corporate ranks. However, after many years of selling various products, along with a few middle management and trainer roles, she started to feel like she was being overlooked for the more prominent leadership roles she aspired to because she was a woman. As such, she eventually decided to take matters into her own hands.

Once her kids were out of the house and on their own, At the age of 45 Mary Kay Ash decided to become her own boss and start her own cosmetic company. She started off very small, but in just a few short years, she manage to transform Mary Kay Cosmetics into a multi-billion dollar corporation that still serves and empowers people all over the world to this day.

Despite being past what most people consider their prime, Mary Kay went on to author multiple best-selling books like The Mary Kay Way, Miracles Happen, You Can Have It All, as well as a few others, and she became an inspiration to countless women. And due to the success of her business and her aim to inspire as many people as possible, she became a multi-millionaire and eventually named as ‘The Greatest Woman In American History’.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo grew up in a household that was barely getting by. As a child, he had to share a room with three of his siblings due to their meager financial situation. There were even times where they didn’t have enough money to buy a soccer ball just so he could play in the streets. But Ronaldo did not let his environment dictate his destiny.

No, instead he would find ways to play the sport he loved even without the ball. He would use bottles, rags, or pretty much anything he could find to make a makeshift ball just so he could play. 

Eventually, Cristiano would get so good at soccer, that he would have to make the ultimate sacrifice at the age of 11 to move over 500 miles away from his family to train with a prestigious soccer academy. It’s a good thing he did too, because by doing so, he put himself on track to eventually become on of the best players in history.

Now Cristiano Ronaldo is known as the greatest Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football federation.  He is also considered by millions of soccer fans all across the globe to be the greatest of all time. 

In addition to this, he is the first soccer player ever to earn over $1 billion dollars, while generating one of the largest net worth’s among professional athletes.  

If you’re looking to learn more about Cristiano’s inspiring success story, you’ll love this.

8. Lionel Messi

Since we are on the topic of soccer, we might as well mention Lionel Messi’s success story because it’s is every bit as inspiring.  Here’s why, at age of 11, Messi was cut from his soccer team because they thought he was too small to play.  And he was small, but it was because he had a growth hormone deficiency which made him a lot smaller than all the other kids his age.

Fortunately, Messi didn’t let this deter him.  Instead, he would place himself on a strict regimen where he would inject growth hormones into himself.  And he would go on to do inject himself with this hormone for seven days in one leg, and then seven days in the other.

Messi would keep this routine up for six years.

The great news is, Messi’s sacrifice and persistence paid off.  Because now, he is one of the highest paid soccer players with a staggering net worth, and is considered by legions of fans to be one of the best soccer players of all time due to his winning soccer’s highest achievement, ‘The Ballon d’Or’ six times.

Success requires sacrifice.

9. Michael Jordan

Since we mentioned the greatest of all time in soccer, we can’t leave out the man many consider to be the greatest of all time in basket ball. Now, most people aren’t’ aware of this, but when Michael Jordan was merely a sophomore in high school, he already had big dreams of being a great basketball player. 

So he did something brash and tried out for the Varsity team. But, things didn’t go his way and he got himself cut from the team.

This rejection hit Jordan especially hard because of his oversized dreams and expectations. In fact, the rejection hit him so hard he went home afterwards and cried in his closet.

Even though that rejection still bothered Jordan, he dusted himself off and went all in for the JV team.  He trained like no other in the off season and grew four extra inches. And the following year he tried out for the varsity team again. But this second time around, he made it.

Not only did he make it, but he went on to become the team’s MVP, making the All-American Team, and eventually earned himself a college scholarship. And from there, well, you know the rest of the story.

He went on to become the man who would score 32,292 points in a basketball career, acquire 6 NBA championships, collect 5 MVP titles, and come to be considered as the greatest basketball player of all time.

For all the success stories we’ve covered, this one clearly shows the importance of having great expectations, and resilience after rejection.

10. Paulo Coelho

Over 30 years ago a book titled ‘The Alchemist’ was published and hardly anyone noticed. The author of this book was a man named Paulo Coelho, and he was told by the first bookseller to carry his book, that only one person bought a copy after it was released.  As bad as it was to hear about the grim results Coelho remained confident in his work. 

He waited for better results to appear, but they were slow to come by as six months would pass before the next copy would be sold.  Oddly, the person who bought his first book was the same person who bought the second.

After that first year the publisher decided that the book was a flop and ended Coelho’s contract.  Fortunately, though, Coelho shrugged off that initial defeat.  He made up his mind to not give in, and so he doubled down to pursue his vision with even more fervor by finding another publisher. 

Now finding this new publisher was no easy task, as he was met with rejection after rejection.  But, he finally did land that new publisher, and with it, another opportunity capture his dream.

From that point forward Coelho’s dreams started to come true.  At first, he only sold three thousand books.  But the sales kept trickling in, as he then sold ten thousand, and then 100 thousand, and on and on. 

Coelho’s luck has yet to run out, as his books sales continue to grow year over year, with now over 150 million and counting copies of ‘The Alchemist’ having been sold. Even more staggering is the fact that he sold over 320 million books when counting all of his works.

Paulo Coelho’s story shows that if you truly want something bad enough, all the universe really will conspire to help you make that dream happen.

Related: Success Quotes for Overcoming Failure

11. Abraham Lincoln

Most of us know of this great man because of what he did for our country. The Emancipation Proclamation which led to the abolition of slavery was a massive accomplishment.

But, what most don’t realized about Abraham Lincoln, is that he has one of the most impressive rap sheets when it comes to overcoming defeat.

In short, his success story consists of a list of failures and set backs so sizable, that you would hardly think it belonged to one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America.

Here’s a great example of the many failures Lincoln endured, with a few victories he managed to sprinkle in over his lifetime:

1832: Lost his job

1832: Defeated for legislature

1833: Failed in business

1834: Elected to legislature

1835: The woman he loved died

1836: Had a nervous breakdown

1838: Defeated for Speaker

1843: Defeated for nomination for Congress

1848: Lost re-nomination

1849: Reject for Land Officer

1854: Defeated for Senate

1856: Defeated for nomination for Vice-President

1858: Again defeated for Senate

1860: Elected for President of The United States of America

To be sure, Lincoln failed his way to success, and his recorded failures helps us realize the truth behind the Michael Jordan quote we mentioned earlier, and that is…that the key to success is through failure.

12. Tom Brady

One of our favorite inspirational stories of success comes from Tom Brady. Brady didn’t follow the typical athletic path into the NFL. While most athletes begin getting groomed for the sport by the 3rd grade, Tom Brady wouldn’t set foot onto the grid iron until the 9th grade.

In fact, his debut into actually getting onto the football field didn’t come until his Sophomore year when the starting quarterback for the JV team quit. Fortunately for Brady, that opportunity helped him capture the starting Varsity QB role by the time his Junior year arrived.

After finding success at the high school level, Brady would eventually go on to become a Michigan Wolverine. But success wasn’t a given for Brady at this level. Nope, he had to earn it.

In fact, Brady came into the program as an underdog, with seven other quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. After almost requesting a transfer to another school, Brady’s determination would eventually win him the coveted starting position by the time he was a Junior.

The obstacles Brady would face continued on even into the Pros. Brady had his mind set to play in the pros, but there was very little interest in him during the draft. In fact, Brady barely made the draft, being chosen in the 6th round as the 199th pick.

Brady was grossly underrated and underestimated by every coach in the league. His draft report from 2000 NFL draft actually stated the following qualities:

• Poor Build | Skinny
• Lacks Great Physical Stature and Strength
• Lacks Mobility and Ability to Avoid The Rush
• Lacks a Really Strong Arm
• Can’t Drive The Ball Down Field
• Doesn’t Throw a Really Tight Spiral
• System-Type Player Who Can Get Exposed if Forced to Adlib
• Gets Knocked Down Easily

Indeed, Tom brady was not the highest rated quarterback, he wasn’t the most well groomed for the sport, nor was he the best athlete. In addition, he didn’t have the best numbers, or even the best mechanics. However, Tom Brady did have the most heart and determination.

Thus, through sheer willpower, he pushed himself to becoming one of the greatest football players of all times. And he has proved his case with the following accolades:

• Most NFL Championships By a Player (7x)
• Most Games Won By a Quarterback
• Most Games Played By a Quarterback
• Most Combined Passing Yards
• Most Touchdown Passes
• Most 4th Quarter Comebacks
• Best Touchdown to Interception Ratio
• 5 Time Super Bowl MVP
• 3 Time MVP of the NFL
• 2 Time NFL All-Decade Team Player
• Only Player to Win a Super Bowl for Both The AFC & NFC

Bonus Success Story

We decided to add one last bonus success story to drive the point home that it’s never too late to be what you might have been — and that no matter where you come from, or where you’ve been, you can change, you can clean up your act, and you can find massive success in the process.

So, this last success story is about a man who grew up poor in Louisiana, lost his father at a young age, and was raised a single-parent household with four other siblings. This last story is about a man named Grant Cardone.

Cardone is not your typical celebrity. He didn’t come from money, he is not a Hollywood superstar, and doesn’t possess some amazing talent, like script-writing, politics, or athleticism. However, what he does possess, is something that is available to us all, and that is a determination to succeed.

Grant Cardone found himself in bad company in his youth. He was involved and addicted to drugs, and was stuck in a downward spiral for over a decade. After getting robbed at gun point, getting beaten to a bloody pulp with a gun, and then getting kicked out of his mother’s house, he finally decided to change his life.

At the age of 25 Grant Cardone decided to clean up his act. He cut all the negative influences from his life, got sober, and took one of the first jobs he could land as a car salesmen. It wasn’t a job he was thrilled about, but he made due given that his options were limited because of a slow economy at the time.

Cardone committed to becoming the best salesperson he could be and invested heavily in his own self-improvement by reading books and studying his craft and his industry.

After committing to becoming his very best, his income doubled, and he soon became one of the best car salesmen in the country. He eventually moved on to running his own business, and was extremely smart and disciplined with his money. He would go on to save every dollar that wasn’t absolutely needed to keep him fed and housed, and moved that money into an investment fund just for real estate.

Grant Cardone’s focus on learning more so that he could earn more, along with having the discipline to invest his extra money, instead of wasting it on frivolous things, helped him become a self-made millionaire just five years later by the age of 30.

Cardone has since gone on to become a prominent international businessman, speaker, and the owner of Cardone Capital, a $1.5 billion investment firm.  He’s also authored New York Times bestselling books If You’re Not First, You’re Last, and other notable books like The 10X Rule, and Axiom Award winning Sell or Be Sold.  In addition to this, he also founded Cardone University, a popular sales training platform that has accrued over 50,000,000 and growing users.

It took Grant Cardone only five years to completely revolutionize his entire life. With the right mindset and a good dose of willpower, just imagine what 5 years could do for you.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these success stories help you realize that while success may be elusive, it is not unattainable. We also hope that you’ve come to understand that success is both a journey and a destination. And in order to achieve success, you’ll have to first go through your share of struggles, rejections, and even disasters.

So, keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the prize. Keep moving towards your dreams no matter what. Do this, and your success will be just around the corner.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – Every success story is different and can inspire in a different way, and if you’re looking for more inspiring stories about how others achieved success, then you’ll love our Strive Stories.