How Did Others Do It?

“All the wonders you seek are within yourself.” —Thomas Browne

Do you ever feel devastated when you think about the miseries in your life? It happens to the majority of us. We ask, “Why me?” whenever we encounter problems. We waste a great deal of time in self-pity and self-sympathizing or blaming others, but we hardly try to focus on the things we can do to bring a positive change in our lives.

I almost died in March due to a blood infection that knocked me out from work for two months putting my startup in jeopardy; but did I blame anything or anyone - no. I realized that it just happened and that I needed to move beyond it as quickly as I could to save the company and our investors money.

God has bestowed every human being with twenty-four hours a day. Some people utilize their time productively and make success their destiny, while others spend their entire life complaining about their misfortune. It is the human psyche that whenever we go through failure, we blame everything on our destiny. We try to convince ourselves that it is our destiny to experience failure and that nothing good can ever happen to us.

William Shakespeare said, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

If destiny meant everything, then words like "hard work" and "struggle" would never be found in any dictionary. The world is full of examples of people who strived hard to change their lives. They proved to the entire world that constant struggle and patience are the keys to success. It’s important to know that triumph doesn’t come overnight; we need to be determined and focused on our goals.

In this chapter of my book, I share stories of ten highly successful people who never gave up and changed the world in many respects. These are the people who exhibit how opportunities are often disguised as failures. Your downfalls are a great way to assess your own strengths and weaknesses. Once you are aware of your true potential, you can do wonders.

The biographies of the influential people in this chapter have been my inspiration. Their endeavors have helped me in creating myself. I want you to go through these life stories with me to help you create a vision to find your way. Of course, these are brief synopses of these people and you should endeavor to read their full biographies.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”

My favorite figure in history and the example of a “giving human” is Benjamin Franklin whom everyone knows as one of the founding fathers of the United States, but do you know how he reached this pinnacle? Franklin was born in Massachusetts to a family who lived hand-to-mouth, meaning they were very poor. He was only able to attend school for two years because of his father’s low income.

Despite the lack of formal learning, Franklin became an avid book reader in his early childhood. His passion for books equaled any formal education he could have received. His older brother found a trade as a printer of books under whose guidance Franklin learned the tricks of the trade. At the age of 17, he left his home to explore a new life in Philadelphia where, during his initial years, he worked at several printing shops while he endeavored with inventions and side businesses. Even after facing many difficulties and failures, Franklin never gave up. Still in his teens, Franklin met Thomas Denham and joined him as a merchant. Denham became the father figure and mentor Franklin never had encouraging him to continue to learn and create.

In 1727, Franklin formed a group called The Junto Club, also known as the Leather Apron Club because it was made up of tradesmen and artisans who met Friday evenings to discuss issues of morals, politics, and philosophy.?The club brought together like-minded people who were eager to make their society better. The members loved to read, but they didn’t have enough books available. With the guidance of Franklin, the group began collecting books on various genres creating the first-ever lending library. They also created the first subscription magazine in America and established the nation’s first firefighting organization, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Hospital.

Franklin was also an avid inventor and researcher making discoveries in physics and electricity, inventing the first bifocals, and the Benjamin Stove. Franklin dedicated his life to the betterment of society (his purpose) and was a leader in drafting the “Declaration of Independence.” In the same year, he was appointed as the commissioner of the United States to France making a grand impression on the King and the people of Paris.

In 1785, Benjamin was appointed as the President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania and selected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 where the Constitution of the United States of America was written. Although Franklin did not complete his elementary education, he was awarded many honorary degrees by various universities in appreciation of his exemplary work for society and humanity.

While Franklin was extraordinary, he also overcame much bigger hurdles than the ordinary man endured. What struggles do you have that you must muster the energy to overcome?

If you ever want to speak with me directly just reach out via?LinkedIn?or through our mobile community app,?Createyourself.com

Have a great week, Gordon

PS - Feel free to buy our Kindle version of?How to Createyourself

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