Whether you are working on a personal project (such as starting your own business, or making a movie, etc), or just starting out on a new venture, here are five motivational and inspirational life stories to give you a boost.
Hearing the stories of people who have come before us, struggled to do great things, is a very positive thing to do. We know other people have gone through similar (and possibly harder) struggles in their lives. The stories help us realise what we want is reachable, no matter how big the obstacles are.
Here are a brief overview of five inspirational life stories to help with keeping your motivation going. It is hoped these real life stories give you encouragement to keep going during tough times and to realise there is always a way to success and you have to fight for it.
Each of these stories are filled with adversity and difficulties, yet they all found a way though to what they wanted. In your own situations, you can remember what they did and model their actions, if it applies to your similar scenario.
Harriet Tubman’s Story of Encouragement.
Harriet Tubman has one of the most encouraging and inspiring story of all.
Born as a salve girl in Maryland, USA she received numerous injuries from her slave owners during her time spent in slavery. In 1849, Harriet escaped to Philadelphia and then returned to Maryland to rescue her family.
Working in secret at night, Harriet rescued members of her family, bringing them out of Maryland with her. Eventually she brought many other slaves with her, rescuing somewhere around 70 people in 13 personal and very dangerous missions.
When the Civil War began in America, Harriet became the first woman to lead an armed expedition.
Using the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman’s dedication of freeing as many slaves as possible and helping to find paid work and live a free life, and therefore she serves as an exceptional example of real life inspirational stories.
Desmond Doss’ Inspirational Story
Desmond Doss was a United States Army corporal, serving as a combat medic during World War 2. As a conscientious objector, he was picked on by other soldiers, and labelled him a coward. He stayed true to his beliefs and did not want to carry a gun in battle, and because of his religious beliefs did not work on Saturdays.
Desmond was the only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, after single-handedly saving 75 men’s lives in the Battle of Okinawa. Furthermore, he never gave up even when his left arm was fractured by a sniper’s bullet and riddled with 17 pieces of shrapnel in his body.
Sticking to his personal beliefs, enduring personal abuse, and single-handedly saving many men’s live whilst helping the war effort, show’s that Desmond’s story can be considered as an outstanding inspirational story.
Colonel Sanders’ Success Story
Colonel Harland Sanders worked a number of different jobs, from a steam engine stoker to insurance salesman, but it wasn’t when running his restaurant in Kentucky that he made what later would make him world famous. It was in his restaurant that he developed what became the KFC secret chicken recipe.
Colonel Sanders then travelled around the USA selling his chicken recipe to other restaurants. Instead of a usual purchase agreement of a single cost per unit, his idea was to let the restauarnt have the recipe for free and instead take a percentage on each dish of his special chicken reciepe that was sold.
After being rejected over a thousand time, 1009 times to be exact, on his 1010 meeting he got his first sale. The perseverance paid off, as his brand KFC is now a global restaurant chain.
Colonel Harland Sanders proves that you just do not quit if you want to be successful.
Sylvester Stallone’s real life success story
Sylvester Stallone‘s inspirational story is legendary in the movie industry.
As a struggling actor, Stallone was at one point so poor that he sold his wife’s jewellery. He became homeless, sleeping in a bus station, and often couldn’t afford to buy food.
Eventually, he acquired a small amount of money by selling his dog for $25 and soon after, Stallone decided to write a movie role for himself. Following being inspired from watching a boxing match, he wrote the script for Rocky and soon had film studios wanting to buy the screenplay.
One studio offered $125,000 for his Rocky script, but the sticking point for the studios was that Stallone wanted to act in the movie. Although poor and broke. Stallone turned down $125,000 offer and continued to chase his dream.
Stallone was then offered $250,000 for the screenplay, but again he refused unless he could act in the movie. A further offer of $350,000 was made and again he rejected it unless he could star in it.
But the studio was not willing to risk the money on an unknown actor, even though the studio wanted this screenplay.
Eventually he managed to get a deal with the studio, who gave him a small amount for the script and let him star in his own move – as the lead character. Stallone stayed strong and got his acting role.
After, Stallone went to buy his dog back, but the new owner refused to sell it back. Even when offered $1000 for the dog, the man refused. Eventually, they agreed $15,000 to buy back his dog.
This is why Stallone deserved his success – he was willing to do whatever it takes.
JK Rowling’s Message of Inspiration
JK Rowling‘s inspirational story is of a woman who was completely penniless, living off of state benefits with her daughter. Yet she wasn’t lazy, she was pursuing her dream of being a writer, creating stories of an orphaned boy who doesn’t know he will become a powerful wizard.
Her now famous story was rejected 12 times by publishers, before being finally picked up by Bloomsbury. Probably one of their best decisions they made to support JK Rowling, her stories have since become some of the most successful book series and movie franchises of all time.
If you are a creative person trying hard to get noticed, stick with it, and one day you’ll have your won motivational story.
There are many other motivational life stories throughout history. I will keep writing about other people’s inspirational life stories as they are a wonderful reminder of what can be accomplished. Hopefully it will become a resource of inspiring and motivational stories throughout history and in current times.
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