Today’s Inspiring People

Today’s Inspiring People

"As long as people have dreams—intense desires to succeed at

something that to others may seem impossible—we will have those

who achieve greatness. Those great achievers then inspire all the other

individuals who struggle to get through their average days. We look to

the immensely successful individuals to give us inspiration, motivation,

hope for the future, and, more importantly, the all-powerful confidence

that we, too, can excel; that we, too, can achieve what was previously

believed to be “the impossible dream.” The confidence we derive from

an average person becoming a billionaire in a few short years becomes

etched into our minds and propels us forward through thick and thin,

through all the obstacles we face on our long, hard journey to ultimate

success. And if we should fail to accomplish our lofty goals, as we may,

we will have accomplished far more with our positive mindset than we

would have if we had not been so powerfully influenced.

James Allen, the great inspirational writer from 1900 and author of

the great self-help book As a Man Thinketh, said:"

"Rely upon your own judgment; be true to your own conscience; follow

the light that is within you; all outward lights are so many will-o’-thewisps.

There will be those who tell you that you are foolish; that your

judgment is faulty; that your conscience is all awry; and that the light

within you is darkness; but heed them not. If what they say is true, the

sooner you as a searcher of wisdom find it out, the better, and you can only

make that discovery by bringing your powers to the test. Therefore, pursue

your course bravely."

Oprah Winfrey

"One of our present-day great achievers is Oprah Winfrey. Born on

January 29, 1954, in Mississippi, Oprah was sexually abused as a child.

She moved to Nashville and, in 1974, began working in broadcasting.

In 1976, Oprah moved to Baltimore, where she hosted a TV show

called “People Are Talking.” She was twenty-two and stayed with the

show for eight years. Then she was hired by a TV station out of Chicago

to host her own morning show.

In 1986, Oprah launched her own nationally televised show, and

the rest is history. It has been said that Oprah was the richest African-

American of the twentieth century. She has starred in numerous films,

won many awards, and is world-renowned and much loved.

Oprah spent her own money to start a $40 million school for

four hundred fifty girls in Africa, where her students would have an

opportunity to have the best education and go on to higher education,

all in a very poor country where few have the opportunity to excel.

Oprah has published books and even has her own magazine, called

“O.” In her book, O’s Guide to Life: The Best of O, The Oprah Magazine,

published by Oxmoor House, Oprah says, “Every sunrise is like a new

page, a chance to rescue each day in all its glory.”

"In her book, Oprah also speaks about her poor upbringing and

her intense desire when she says, “I remember being fifteen years old,

standing in the drugstore three corners from my house, waiting for the

September issue of Seventeen [magazine] to arrive. I was a faithful reader

all through my teens, until I turned 18, but the back-to-school issue was

the most anticipated, and I couldn’t risk having it sell out. I never had

enough money at one time to buy a subscription, but I would sacrifice

two school lunches a month for the 50 cents to buy the magazine filled

with spectacular fashion, ideas, and dreams. It gave me hope that one

day I could live like the girls in those pages.”

"It is true that we are what we think about on a consistent basis.

Oprah clearly was a driven person with a dream. That dream resonated

deep within her for years. She had vision. Oprah wanted to be a success.

But more importantly, Oprah visualized herself as a success. It was just a

question of when, and of what form that success would take."

C-2011 John Paul Carinci – from the book An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed