Arnold Schwarzenegger needs no introduction. He has proved his mettle as an actor, film-maker, businessman, investor, philanthropist, activist, politician and to say in the least, an accomplished bodybuilder. However, to reach the pinnacle of success, he has experienced many trials and tribulations. Many people are in awe of his physique and acting prowess. But, unlike what people think, true heroism doesn’t lie in building biceps, killing predators with bare hands, or being able to speak in the charming Austrian accent. Heroism comes from having principles and adhering to them irrespective of the situations. Below are the five principles to gain success, as laid out by Arnold himself.
Find your vision and stick to your goals:
Having a vision helps you navigate your life purposefully and sticking to your goal gives you a purpose. You will go astray if you don’t have a vision, leading to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Arnold explains how he grew up after the Second World War and the disturbed economic situation in Austria made him want to escape. This urge became strong when he watched a documentary about America and felt eager to settle there. He discovered his true passion when he read an inspiring story in a bodybuilding magazine and put all his hard work to materialize his dream. There was no looking back for him when he finally reached America. So, he urges us to always discover our vision and the rest will follow.
Never think small:
He always believed in shooting for the stars and not settling for less. He had a dream of becoming the highest paid entertainer and he stopped at nothing short of it.
Ignore the naysayers:
Nothing is impossible if you know how to push your boundaries. There were naysayers who tried to dampen his determination to become a bodybuilding star and join the show-business. But, he turned a deaf ear to them. He joined acting classes, English classes, even accent neutralization ones and tirelessly looked for breaks in movies. His first major break was ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ and ‘The Terminator’ followed suit, elevating his stardom to unimaginable heights.
Work hard:
Your dreams will not come true if you don’t work towards them. Arnold endorses the adage, “No pain, no gain.” He gives inspiring anecdotes from his life when he trained for straight five hours a day alongside managing a construction business, where he was a bricklayer, and attending college.
Don’t always take; rather, give something back:
While priding on our achievements, we turn a blind eye to those who need our warmth and compassion. Arnold believes that one must look beyond the ‘self’ and extend a hand of help to the ‘other.’ Arnold by means of his philanthropic ventures trained budding Olympians and commenced after-school programs for vulnerable children so that they learn to say ‘No’ to drugs and violence. A change will come only when we take small yet effective steps towards it, he believes.
To make the world a better place for generations to come, we have to take those first steps. This video makes us believe that inaction only leads to doom and spreading positivity is the way of living a peaceful life.
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