Gary_John_Bishop_Unfu_k_Yourself__Get_Out_of_You

that you and I are likely to be familiar with: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold was born to relatively poor parents in a small town in Austria, just a
couple of years after the end of World War II.
Yet young Arnold dreamt of going to America and acting in movies. What do
you think his parents thought of that dream? What do you think his fellow
Austrian townsfolk told him about his ambitions or whispered behind his
back?
Remember, we’re not talking about today, where we have television and
internet and smartphones and anyone with a wireless connection can become
a celebrity. Back then, most households didn’t even have a TV.
“America” was a nebulous, fantastical concept for Arnold and the people he
grew up with- a place they had only seen in pictures or movies.
So you can pretty much guarantee that everyone he knew thought there was
no chance he’d ever realize his dream and if he had accepted that at any
point, their words would have come true.
If he had agreed that he wouldn’t become a world famous bodybuilder, it
would’ve been true. If he had agreed that he couldn’t move to America, he
wouldn’t have. If he had accepted that he’d never make it into movies or he’d
never be a star actor or he couldn’t become governor, he would have quit.
But he never agreed with what the world or other people told him about what
was and wasn’t possible.
He was relentless. He spent hours in the gym every day, pushing his body. He
practiced his bodybuilding poses. He read books. He learned business. He
auditioned for movie roles.
Relentlessly. Giving up or changing plans simply wasn’t an option.
And if you look at his path, you can learn something valuable about
relentlessness: Sometimes, it’s all you have.
Before Arnold, no Austrian bodybuilder had ever gone onto become an A-list
action start in the United States, let alone be elected governor of California.
You can be sure he spent a good part of his life and career not really knowing
where he was going. There aren’t any road signs when you’re trekking