Inspiring Stories of Personal Transformation
A lot of people struggle with their lives, and although they might not always know why, it doesn't stop them from being motivated by something. The stories in this list will inspire you to become the best version of yourself that you can be. Whether you're struggling with a challenging episode of depression or are searching for your true purpose, these stories will teach you that there is light at the end of the tunnel even if it's hard to see.
This list also features personal stories from successful CEOs who share their motivation for creative pursuits and entrepreneurship so that others can learn from them as well.
For most of us, life is a cycle of ups and downs. We are all on our own journey with this, and we all have our own unique challenges to meet along the way. At any point in time, the moment you find yourself overwhelmed by life's struggles, you need to put yourself back in check and remember: "I am not my job title." It's easy to look at success stories and be intimidated by them. The stories in this list might even seem like they are out of reach for you. The truth is anyone can achieve their dreams if they are willing to work hard.
One of the things I like best about this list is that it reminds us we all have something to give. Whether we are struggling or successful, we all can offer something special to the world in some way. There is always a unique reason for why we decided to work in our respective careers, and although other people might not understand your reasons for pursuing an occupation that you love, you have got nothing to be ashamed about. We all have our own story and part of what brings us joy and comfort is expressing that every now and then through our professional pursuit.
Before I share my list with you guys, let me tell you a little bit about my past experiences as a writer. I never planned on being an author, but if you find yourself struggling with your creative pursuits, I encourage you to keep going. If you have a passion for writing, it's always a good idea to explore new ways of expressing what you're feeling. Whether that's through blogposts on your own website or work in creative writing (such as novels or screenplays), I believe anyone can write and this article series is another way of sharing my experiences and how that got me here.
If you've lived through difficult times that have made you question the meaning of life, these inspirational stories will make you feel better about yourself again.
#1: A Brief History of My Life Story by Steve Jobs
When I saw Steve Jobs speak for the first time on stage, I didn't know what to expect. Jobs had just returned to Apple one year earlier after being ousted in 1985, and he had a message to deliver, but I wasn't sure what it would be. When he began speaking, my eyes lit up because his words were plain and simple. He was talking about his journey as a teenager who discovered the meaning of life while working for Hewlett-Packard in between high school and college.
"That job was the greatest education I ever had. I have never forgotten it. It changed my view of life and of what was important. I realized that my parents were not rich, they didn't have a lot of money in the bank, but they had each other, and they had me."
If you're struggling with having too much on your plate at work or with emotional problems in your relationships, Jobs' story gives us all hope that we will be okay one day no matter how much stress we are under. His story is about how he overcame his hardships through his passion for technology and by staying loyal to his passion for design, computers and music. The lessons he learned during his time at HP have carried on throughout his life and they are applicable to any profession.
#2: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Because this book is so popular, most people have heard of it by now. If not, it's a must read for you because the message won't be the same if you haven't read it yourself. This book was originally written in 1989 and inspired the creation of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , which has since become one of America's best-selling business books.
In the book, Covey gives us a collection of seven habits that he believes will help us to be more successful in our careers:
1. Be proactive:
"Begin with the end in mind and work your way backwards." He discusses the importance of starting our jobs with a plan of how we can reach our goals. He emphasizes that we must remember all the steps along the way towards accomplishing something because it's easy to forget and become overwhelmed by all the tasks at once.
2. Begin with the end in mind: "Plan your day before you plan your week, month or year. Don't start planning your life, plan your week, plan your month and then plan your year." Covey uses the example of a basketball player who begins by shooting hoops every day. Only by sticking to his daily routine will he eventually be able to become one of the best basketball players around.
3. Be proactive: "Begin with the end in mind and work backwards." Covey stresses that we must remember to be proactive in our approach to our own jobs. He explains that there is nothing worse than being reactive when we have our goals set out for us. We must take action to become proactive in our lives.
4. Be proactive: "Begin with the end in mind and work backwards." He explains that we must always act instead of complaining about what is currently going on around us. If all of us don't do exactly what we should be doing each day, then nothing will change, and that's not a good thing. Breaking our actions down into small chunks will help if we feel like we can't get anything done quickly enough.
5. Begin with the end in mind: "First fill your tank before you begin filling your pail.
Conclusion: Covey understands that many of us are stretched thin in our jobs, but by using his four pillars (begin with the end in mind, seek first to understand, act on the basis of your convictions and keep your promises), we can start to have a more productive day.
6. Put first things first: "The key to time management is not to work faster but to work on the right things." This chapter essentially summarizes everything he has talked about in the other chapters and offers advice on how we must begin with the end in mind if we are going to make progress towards our goals.
7. Sharpen the saw: "Routine is a manifestation of lack of purpose; it is not a virtue.