RICHARD BRANSON - THE MIND OF A BILLIONAIRE.

Virgin is one of the world’s most irresistible brands and has expanded into many diverse sectors from travel to telecommunications, health to banking and music to leisure. There are now more than 100 Virgin companies worldwide, employing approximately 60,000 people in over 50 countries. 

Having started Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, Branson founded Virgin Records and opened a record shop on Oxford Street, London. After building a recording studio, The Manor, the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded and released ‘Tubular Bells’. Virgin Records went on to sign household names from the Sex Pistols to The Rolling Stones, becoming the biggest independent label in the world.

Since Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984, it has established itself as a leading global airline after overcoming BA’s Dirty Tricks campaign. Virgin Australia, Virgin America, Virgin Holidays, Virgin Limited Edition, Virgin Trains, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Galactic have followed in travel, while expansion elsewhere has seen Branson become the only person to build eight billion dollar companies in eight different sectors.

Branson has challenged himself with many record breaking adventures, including the fastest ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, a series of hot air balloon adventures and kitesurfing across the English Channel. He has described Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, as being “the greatest adventure of all”. Space travel has been a dream for Branson since he watched the moon landings on TV, and he registered the Virgin Galactic name in 1999. Testing for commercial service is underway, with Branson planning to join his family on the first space flight.

He is also a record breaker online, voted the UK’s number one Twitter user, the world’s most social CEO and the world’s most followed person on LinkedIn. Branson maintains a daily blog on http://virgin.com discussing everything from entrepreneurship, conservation and sustainability to travel, music and humour. He has more than 11.5 million followers across five social networks. He has also written six books, including autobiography Losing My Virginity.

Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged, Branson has found entrepreneurial ways to provoke positive change in the world. He started a Student Advisory Centre aged 17 to help young people overcome issues ranging from abortion to sexuality. He set up the Virgin Earth Challenge in 2007 - a $25 million prize for scalable and sustainable ways of removing greenhouse gases from the air.

In 2004 he established non-profit foundation Virgin Unite to tackle tough social and environmental problems and strives to make business a force for good. Most of his time is now spent working with Virgin Unite and organisations it has incubated, such as The Elders, Carbon War Room, B Team and Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship. He also serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and supports ocean conservation with the Ocean Elders and Ocean Unite.

Branson was awarded a knighthood in 1999 for services to entrepreneurship. He lives on Necker Island with his wife Joan, and has two children, Holly and Sam. 

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JIM and STEW

Two friends, Jim and Stew, had joined a big sales company together just after graduation. Both of them worked really hard.

Three years have passed and the company‘s director promoted one of them – Stew became sales executive. Jim did not get any promotion and remained at sales department.

Jim decided that it is unfair, so he came to his boss and told him, that he doesn’t appreciate a hard working staff. The boss knew that Jim works hard, and in order to show difference between him and Stew, he asked: „Go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. When Jim returned, the boss asked: „How much per kg?” So Jim went back to the market and then returned to say the price – $12 per kg.

Then the boss asked Stew the same thing. Stew went to the market, and when he returned he told: „at the moment there is one person selling watermelons, $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg, now he has 340 watermelons in stock. On the table there are 48 water melons, each of them weighs about 15 kg. Water melons were bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and good quality.

Jim was impressed by the difference between him and Stew. He realized that he needs to learn a lot from his friend.

As you can see from this story, successful people are more observant. They think and see several years ahead, while most of people see only tomorrow.

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BRAD PITT

Born to a trucking firm owner father and a school counselor mother, William Bradley Pitt is better known as 'Brad Pitt'. He was born on December 18th, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, but was raised in Springfield, Missouri. He is the oldest in the family and has a younger brother, Doug (b. 1966) as well as a younger sister named Julie (b. 1969). During his youth, Pitt spent his time studying at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. and graduated in 1982. There, in his high school, Pitt used to be a member of the golf, tennis and swim teams. Besides, Pitt whose high school nickname was Brad the "Pitt-bull" also belonged to his high school Key and the Forensics Club. He continued his education at University of Missouri School of Journalism focusing in advertising, but then decided to quit before trying his luck in Hollywood. 

Before becoming a famous actor, Pitt supported himself by doing some different occupations, like driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators, and dressing as a giant chicken while working for the restaurant chain El Pollo Loco. Penetrating acting with the late Roy London, slowly and surely Pitt then able to place on his solid footing on TV and film industry. He got his first feature film role as a cowboy in the 1991 "Thelma and Louise" with 14 minutes of screen time, a starting point for Pitt to play in his many other famous movies. 

Soon afterward, Pitt's popularity rising like wildfire thanks to the role he played in “ Interview withe the Vampire" (1994) where he played alongside with his senior, Tom Cruise. In the same year, Pitt starred in another movie which title was "Legends of the Fall," after which he was named as the 1994 'Sexiest Man Alive' by People Magazine. One year later that was in 1995 Pitt played in "Se7en", a movie tells about a serial killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins. In that movie, Pitt and his co-star Morgan Freeman act as two detectives in charge of solving the crimes. Playing as the wife of Pitt's character is Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey as the killer. 

Spending most of their time playing in the same movie with related characters, husband & wife, emerged love between Pitt and Paltrow that on December 20, 1996, they tied the knot in an engagement. As a result of the engagement publicity by press, Pitt

became even more and more popular though one of his next movies so-called "Seven Years in Tibet" (1997) had caused him being banned from entering China. Behind the scene, Pitt romance with Paltrow ruined and in June 1997, with no reasons given they announced their 2 1/2 year mutual relationship end. 

Beyond the split, Pitt tried to hold on his fame and career by playing in several other movies, like "Meet Joe Black" (1998), "The Mexican" (2001), "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), and TV series "Friends" (2001 episode as Monica's friend). Furthermore, the many awards he got had proven him as not only tough but also professional actor. A bunch of accolades he scored among others were being chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 1995's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History (#23) then by "People" magazine as one of 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1996 and 1997. In addition, Pitt had once listed in People Weekly's "Most Intriguing People" list (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue), voted #1 in Company magazine's annual 100 Sexiest Men poll in 2004, given the title of "Sexiest Man Alive" from People Magazine and People's Choice in 1995 [2000] and thus he has become the only man to ever be named "Sexiest Man Alive" twice by "People Magazine". 

The fame Pitt got in his movie career became more complete when in the spring season of 1998 he met Jennifer Aniston, who is a Greek ancestry and for whom he secretly took Greek language lessons to surprise her. They subsequently got married on July 19, 2000. Yet, Pitt romance doesn't work as well as his career does. In early January 2005, the couple announced their 4 1/2 year marriage end, causing the many speculations of the causes. Once, Pitt has been accused to have an affair with Angelina Jolie, his assassin wife in “ Mr and Mrs Smith" (2005), while another source mentioned the spouse different views in forming a family, especially in having baby, as the main reason of their split. Anyway, Pitt and Aniston claimed their divorce wasn't about the speculation reported by the media; instead they had to face much thoughtful consideration before they came to the decision. Above all, both still remain good and close friends. 

Amid the rumors of his love relationship with Jolie which still circulated in the tabloids, Pitt, through his publicist, shockingly announced in early January

2006 that he and the actress were expecting a child together in response to People Magazine's report on Jolie's pregnancy, subsequently confirmed all the issues about their affair that have been around for months since his break-up with Aniston. In the anticipation of their baby to be delivered, he enthusiastically carried out his new role as the legal adoptive father of Jolie's two children, Maddox and Sahara, after a Santa Monica judge finally granted his request on this matter by the same month. And by May 2006, that was on 27th date to be exact, the hunk and his partner Angelina Jolie welcomed their first child ever, a daughter whom they named Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. 

Back to his acting career, Pitt kept working his way smoothly in the field for the rest of the first decade of the 21st century. Appearing in “Troy" and “Ocean’s Twelve" prior to his stint in "Mr and Mrs Smith," he eagerly joined Cate Blanchett to highlight Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's multiple narrative drama “Babel" (2006), which wonderfully scored him a Golden Globe nomination in best supporting actor slot by 2007. The same year also saw the hunk reprise his role of Rusty Ryan in “Ocean Thirteen" while top lining “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." The schedule became more hectic as he next was billed to star in at least five more films namely “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", “Dirty Tricks", “ Chad Schmidt", "Dallas Buyer's Club", and “Burn After Reading", all set to come up in 2008. 

Not resting on his acting laurels, Pitt determinedly continues to get productive in producing movies via his Plan B Entertainment which he founded alongside Aniston and Brad Grey, the CEO of giant film company Paramount Pictures. Reached tremendous success in producing Oscar-winning picture “The Departed" (2006), he effortlessly moved on to afterwards produce a number of titles like “Year of the Dog" (2007), “A Mighty Heart" (2007), “The Time Traveler’s Wife" (2008), “World WarZ " (2008), and "Peace Like a River"(2009)

- Be Inspired.

VIN DIESEL (Success Story)

Vin Diesel was born Mark Sinclair in Alameda County, California, along with his fraternal twin brother, Paul Vincent. He was raised by his astrologer/psychologist mother, Delora Sherleen (Sinclair), and adoptive father, Irving H. Vincent, an acting instructor and theater manager, in an artist's housing project in New York City's Greenwich Village. He never knew his biological father. His mother is white (with English, German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry), and his adoptive father is African-American; referring to his biological father's background, Diesel has said that he himself is "definitely a person of colour".

His first break in acting happened by chance, when at the age of seven he and his friends broke into a theatre to vandalize it. A woman stopped them and offered them each a script and $20, on the condition that they would attend everyday after school. From there, Vin's fledgling career progressed from the New York repertory company run by his father, to the Off-Off-Broadway circuit. At age seventeen and already sporting a well-honed physique, he became a bouncer at some of New York's hippest clubs to earn himself some extra cash. It was at this time that he changed his name to Vin Diesel.

Following high school, Vin enrolled as an English major at Hunter College, but dropped out after three years to go to Hollywood to further his acting career. Being an experienced theatre actor did not make any impression in Hollywood and after a year of struggling to make his mark, he returned to New York. His mother then gave him a book called "Feature Films at used Car Prices" by Rick Schmidt. The book showed him that he could take control of his career and make his own movies. He wrote a short film based on his own experiences as an actor, called Multi-Facial  (1995), which was shot in less than three days at a cost of $3,000. Multi-Facial (1995) was eventually accepted for the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it got a tumultuous reception.

Afterwards, Vin returned to Los Angeles and raised almost $50,000 through telemarketing to fund the making of his first feature,Strays (1997). Six months after shooting, the film was accepted for the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and although it received a good reception, it did not sell as well as hoped. Yet again Vin returned disappointed to New York only to receive a dream phone call.Steven Spielberg was impressed by Multi-Facial (1995) and wanted to meet Vin, leading him to be cast in Saving Private Ryan (1998).Multi-Facial (1995) earned Vin more work, when the director of The Iron Giant (1999) saw it and decided to cast Vin in the title role. From there, Vin's career has steadily grown, with him securing his first lead role as Richard B. Riddick in the sci-fi film Pitch Black  (2000). The role has earned him a legion of devoted fans and the public recognition he deserves.

Since then, he has headlined a series of blockbusters, often but not only centered on fast-driving motor vehicles: The Fast and Futious (2001),xXx (2002), The Pacifier (2005), Fast & Furious  (2009),Fast Five  (2011), Fast & Furions 6 (2013), and Fast & Furions 7(2015). He also voiced Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and starred in the lower-budgeted courtroom drama Find Me Guilty (2006), the latter directed by Sidney Lumet. 

-Be Inspired.

ASA ( How she managed her frustrated years to become "ASA")

Bukola Elemide was born in September 1 1982  in Paris, France to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Aṣa grew up in Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria.

She states that the city is “buzzing with energy but also home to a deep-rooted spirituality. Islam thrives shoulder to shoulder with Christianity in an atmosphere of tolerance, and the turbulent city moves endlessly in an infernal and yet harmonious ballet of love and hate, laughter and violence, poverty and wealth.”

However twenty years later Aṣa returned to Paris, which is where her life as an artist took wing. Aṣa was twelve when her mother sent her to Corona, which is considered one of the best schools in Nigeria. But educational excellence had a bitter taste : five years of studies and hardship. When she came home, she discovered Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Femi Kuti and Angélique Kidjo, in whose footprints she dreamed of following.

At 18, Asa was very familiar with frustration. The university was on strike, the choirs were snubbing her. During these frustrating times, Asa used to lock herself in her room and sing; this she said was very comforting. Nevertheless, she managed to get her voice heard on a few radio talent shows and her first applause brought her boundless pleasure. She then signed up, in secret, for the Peter King’s School of Music and learned to play guitar in 6 months. She sings Yoruba songs differently and these attracted more Yoruba people to her music.

- Be Inspired.

Kanu Nwankwo ( Success Story)

Nwankwo Kanu, a professional footballer, was born on August 1, 1976 in Owerri. His younger brother, Christopher Kanu, is also a professional footballer. He is known as “Papilo”, “The King” and “Long Lad” in the football world and is the captain of the Nigeria national football team. Nwankwo Kanu contributed to the Nigeria U-17 team’s 2-1 win over Ghana at the finals of the 1993 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-17 tournament in Japan. He has been in the national team since 1994 and played his first international match against Sweden. Nwankwo Kanu captained the team at 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, playing a vital role in helping the national team win the gold in the football event and was a part of the national squad in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Nwankwo Kanu was a part of the team that finished as runners-up at the 2000 African Cup of Nations and second runners-up at the African of Nations in 2002, 2004 and 2006. As of 2008, he has featured in 72 international matches and has scored 13 goals. Nwankwo Kanu started his club career by joining Fed Works in 1991 after which he moved to Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992 and contributed to the club’s victory at the 1992-93 Nigerian Premier League. He was signed by AFC Ajax in 1993 and made his debut for the club in 1994. He helped the club win the Eredivisie for three consecutive seasons, 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League during the 1994-95 season. Nwankwo Kanu played in the final match against AC Milan at the 1995 Champions League and went on to make 54 appearances for the club, scoring 25 times. Nwankwo Kanu transferred to Internazionale Milano in 1996, and the same year he was named The African Footballer of the Year. He was also a part of the team that won the UEFA Cup during the 1997-98 season. In February 1999, Nwankwo Kanu was signed by Arsenal and made his debut for Arsenal against Sheffield United at the Football Association (FA) Cup. At the end of the year he was named as The African Footballer of the Year for the second time. He contributed to the club’s victory twice at the English Premier League (2001-02 and 2003-04), twice at the FA Cup (2001-02 and 2002-03) and once at the 2004 FA Community. In his five -year tenure with Arsenal, he made 119 appearances and has 30 goals to his credit. Nwankwo Kanu moved to West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2004 and started as a regular on August 14, 2004 in a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers. His first Albion goal came on September 18, 2004 in a 1-1 draw against Fulham following which, he played a memorable game against Arsenal at the Hawthorns on October 15, 2005. In the summer of 2006, Nwankwo Kanu played as a guest for Arsenal in Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial game, the first match to be played in Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. After playing 53 matches for West Brom, he joined Portsmouth in 2006 and on August 19, 2006, he made his Portsmouth debut in a match against Blackburn Rovers. In his third match for the club, Nwankwo Kanu scored all the four goals in a 4-0 win against Middlesbrough and went on to become the top goal scorer of Portsmouth that season, scoring 12 goals. In his second season at Portsmouth, Nwankwo Kanu netted the winning goal at FA Cup 1-0 semi-final match against West Bromwich Albion and at the 1-0 win in the final against Cardiff City, and went on to win the Man of The Match award and a third FA Cup winner's medal. Owing to his prolific scoring, Nwankwo Kanu joined the exclusive list of players, who scored at both the old and new Wembley stadiums. As of 2008, Nwankwo Kanu is the only Premiership player to have won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premiership, FA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Be Inspired.

Powerful Historical Quotes That Inspire Me

If you’ve heard me speak or have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you probably know by now that I’m a great admirer of Sir Winston Churchill. His tenacity, fighting spirit and unparalleled work ethic essentially saved Western civilization when the odds were against him. If you have the chance to really study him, I highly suggest it because he was a fascinating man.

In life it’s so important we have a place or person to draw inspiration from. We need to keep that source close to us, especially when things seem so chaotic and, frankly, people aren’t always all that nice to one another. I have several Churchill quotes I keep with me all the time and pull out on days when I need a little extra motivation. These quotes are very special to me and, as I look around the world right now, I feel like this is a perfect time to share them with you.

1. “The further backward you can look the further forward you are likely to see.”

Understanding history is imperative to shaping our future. If you forget your history, you’re destined to repeat it. People sometimes act like the issues we have now are new. Although they might seem new because we can watch them happen in real time and on a much larger scale (thanks to technology), but they aren’t new. They’ve always been around. We just never learned how to correctly deal with them.

So, as Churchill said, you do need to look backward. Really study our shared history. Study your personal history. Learn everything you can about where we came from so you can fully see where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.

2. “Courage is rightly esteemed, the first of human qualities because it has been said it is the quality that guarantees all others.”

Life is scary.Succeeding and winning requires taking risks. You have to make tough calls. You have to make risky decisions. Then you have to move forward and hope it all works out. Being courageous doesn’t mean doing all of this in the absence of fear. It means being courageous even in the presence of fear. Do you really think Sir Winston Churchill wasn’t scared while making the tough decisions required during World War II, knowing that the future of the free world was on his shoulders?

If you want to succeed, you’ve got to be courageous enough to make the tough calls and keep moving forward even when you aren’t sure you have the strength to face what is in front of you. Courage is hard but it’s the most important quality you can build.

3. “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Churchill’s life was full of defeats, failures and bad decisions. In his autobiography, he refers to the 1930s, when things were going really wrong, as the Wilderness Years. During that time he was considered powerless, an old relic from another time. During World War II, he would lead Western civilization to victory against Nazi rule. He didn’t let failures and setbacks keep him down.

You’re going to fail. That’s just part of life. If you spend too much time worrying about what went wrong or what should’ve happened, you won’t ever get past the failures in order to get to the good stuff. You can’t do anything about what has already happened. That’s done. If you’ve made a bad decision and failed, you’ve got to own it and move forward. That’s what’s successful people do.

4. “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.”

Churchill was a hard worker. He was focused and intense. He had a box on his desk that said “Action This Day.” It was a box for all the items he had to complete that day and he would stay at his desk until they were all completed, even if it meant staying until 2 a.m.

If success were easy, everybody would be successful. It requires paying a price and working like crazy. As I like to say in my speeches, “I will do today what others don’t so I’ll have tomorrow to do what others won’t.” You can be the smartest man or woman in the world, but if you don’t put in the work you won’t achieve success. It’s just that simple.

5. “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

This is one of my favorite Churchill quotes. It’s from a speech he gave in 1945 to his supporters after he had already led the Allies to victory in World War II, but was defeated for Prime Minister re-election by his former deputy, Clement Attlee. But Churchill didn’t give up, and within five years he was elected Prime Minister again. No matter what life threw at him, Churchill never accepted defeat. He always had the courage to continue.

Success isn’t a guarantee of lasting success. There is always someone waiting and willing to work just a little bit harder. But failure won’t kill you unless you let it. Courage is the most important quality you can possess if you want to achieve your biggest dreams. Success isn’t for the weak of heart. You’re going to have to be brave and tough and courageous even when it’s hard—especially when it’s hard.

I hope these quotes are as inspirational and motivational for you as they have been for me throughout the years. I hope you will add them to the inspirational sources you keep close. All of us, even the strongest, most positive, motivated people out there still need a little push. Having a strong place to draw inspiration is the best resource we have to fulfill our dreams.

• Be Inspired.

OLYMPIC QUOTES

Why the Olympics Motivates Me to Be Better.

As Usain Bolt crossed the finish line to win the men’s 100-meter final of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a younger high school sophomore version of myself sat on the edge of my couch in absolute bewilderment. How a human being could run 100 meters in 9.69 seconds was incredible to me.

A few days later, Bolt would break an Olympic record in the men’s 200-meter final, finishing the race in 19.30 seconds. Again, I was amazed as I sat on my couch, and I was inspired,  too. I want to run like that, I thought.

That thought stayed with me as the 2008 Olympics came to a close and summer came to an end. On my first day of school, I visited with the track and field coach and asked if I could join the team. I told him I wanted to run the 100-meter dash. Up until then, I had only played soccer, but despite my lack of experience running track, Coach Guillory agreed to let me on the team.

After a few weeks of watching me run at practice, Coach broke the news to me that my body type and lack of experience might be best suited for running distance events. My Olympic dreams of running the 100-meter dash were, well, dashed. Regardless, I kept at it and ran the 800-meter race, the mile and also ran for the cross-country team. Although I never made it to the Olympics, watching Bolt eight years ago inspire me to run and I haven’t stopped running since then—I’m currently training for my first marathon.

It turns out I’m not the only one who was inspired to try out a new sport after watching the Olympics. A study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association found increases in participation in 16 sports after the 2008 Olympics. Triathlons, for example, saw an increase in participation of 11.1 percent in 2009. Beach volleyball and table tennis were also among the sports with an increase in participation, of 7.3 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

Although there isn’t much research on why watching sporting events such as the Olympics motivates us to get off the couch and exercise, there are a couple of reasons it makes sense.

For one, Olympians make it look easy. Team USA’s Final Five—gymnasts Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, Simone Biles, Madison Kocian and, our September cover star, Gabby Douglas—performed their events at this year’s Olympics in Rio with such elegance and grace that they made doing front flips on a 4-inch wide balance beam look like the simplest of tasks. Usain Bolt made winning the 100-meter final for the third consecutive Olympics look effortless—especially as he grinned at his fellow competitors before he even finished the race. With years of training for their respective events, Olympians make their performances seem so simple that those watching, myself including, think to themselves, Well, I could do that.

But it’s more than making it look easy—Olympians also motivate us. It’s hard to not watch the Olympics when NBCUniversal provides 6,755 hours of coverage in 16 days across its networks, and during those hours it’s hard not to find at least one story that inspires you. For example, take Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan. At 41, she’s competed in every Olympiad since 1992. Although she didn’t medal in an event this year, the simple fact she’s still competing—against gymnasts who are half her age—is remarkable. Or Julius Yego of Kenya, who learned how to throw a javelin by watching YouTube videos. When we hear about stories like these, we’re inspired because we think that if a 41-year-old can compete in the Olympics, then we can at least go for a jog. Or if someone learned how to do an Olympic event by watching videos online, then we could certainly attempt to learn a new hobby , too.

The party in Rio de Janeiro is coming to a close. We’ve been inspired as we’ve watched athletes like Chusovitina and Yego. We’ve been motivated as we’ve watched Biles become the first American gymnast to win three gold medals at a single Olympics, and as Michael Phelps further solidifies himself as the greatest Olympian of all time. But what do we do with that inspiration?

- Be Inspired.

How to Ask for (and Get) Everything You Want

The best way of getting what you want is thinking about your request before you actually make it.

The big reason many people fail to get what they want is that they are too afraid to ask or they view their requests as all-or-nothing gambits—instead of a series of negotiations and compromises.

But there is a middle ground. Here are strategies to help you begin the “asking” process and avoid becoming upset if things don’t go exactly as planned.

Steps to Success

1. Tell yourself there is nothing to fear except fear itself.

Fear of punishment or rejection is why most people hesitate to ask for what they want. They are afraid that going out on an emotional limb will result in humiliation if they fail.

Strategy: Before making your request, take plenty of time to remind yourself of the importance of what you are asking for. Tell yourself the only thing that matters is whether or not you are making good and well-articulated points. By focusing on the merits of your request, not on how you will appear to others, many of your initial fears will fade away.

2. Before you try to sell others, sell yourself.

Two of the most important elements involved in asking for what you want—and-getting it—are self-confidence  and determination. Unless you believe in your heart that you will eventually win over the other side, you will likely falter or become troubled at the first sign of resistance.

Strategy: An extreme emotional reaction to any hurdle will almost certainly doom your mission, causing the other side to take you and your points less seriously.

Tell yourself from the outset that you may not immediately get what you want. The statement is not the same as saying that you will never succeed, which could hurt your morale and determination. Instead, you are merely facing reality—accepting the fact that you may face a setback. By acknowledging this possibility, you will not be surprised or upset if you are turned down.

3. Organize your thoughts.

You can’t expect to get the results you want if the other side doesn’t understand your request.

Strategy: Write out exactly what you want. Then redraft your points until your reasoning is clear, ordered and can be easily related. Practice in front of a mirror, or discuss the points with friends to be sure they make sense and you didn’t leave anything out.

4. When you ask, ask from your heart.

Important requests are always better received when those making them are passionate, friendly, polite and firm. Such a stance is difficult to resist. It increases your odds of success... or at least minimizes the chance that your personality or attitude will sabotage your request.

Strategy: Ask in an enthusiastic manner and voice. Maintain steady eye contact to show that you mean business, but also exhibit respect and admiration for the person to whom you are speaking. In general, you stand a much better chance of getting what you want when you make people feel at ease and show them that you are truly excited about what you are requesting.

5. Prepare to deal with resistance.

Even if you do everything right, you might still meet resistance. The person you are asking might want to confer with someone else before he/she makes a final decision... or he may want to table his answer, hoping that you’ll retreat from your position once you have had some time to think about it... or he might just say no.

Strategy: If someone resists or challenges your request, be polite and gracious. Do not lose your temper or become discouraged. Instead of seeing the other person’s resistance as a dead end, view it as part of a continuing conversation. Translate every no into a next. Realize ano doesn’t mean stop—it simply means not yet.1

6. Learn the art of saying thank you.

Whether or not you get what you want, say thank you. Gratitude will leave the other person open to giving you what you want—or more of what you want—sometime in the future.

Strategy: Say thank you directly to the person and follow up with a written note. In some cases, flowers or a gift may be appropriate.

Learning the art of expressing gratitude will force you to focus on the positive. It will also keep you from holding a grudge, which is difficult to hide and only works against you in the long run.

- Be Inspired

FATHER'S GREATEST GIFT

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son,

shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the

world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection.

Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and many others adorned the

walls of their family estate. The widowed elderly man looked on with

satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The

son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with

pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed their nation, and the young man left

to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, the elderly man

received a telegram that his beloved son was missing in action. The art

collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his

son again. Within days his fears were confirmed. The young man had died

while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the

old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness.

The joy of the season-a season that he and his son had so looked forward

to in the past-would visit his house no longer. On Christmas morning, a

knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the

door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his

son was not coming home. He opened the door and was greeted by a soldier

with a large package in his hand.

The soldier introduced himself to the old man by saying, "I was a friend

of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in

for a few moments? I have something to show you." As the two began to

talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told every one of his-and

his father's-love of fine art work. "I'm also an artist," said the

soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man began to unwrap

the package, paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son.

Though the world would never consider it a work of genius, the painting

featured the young man's face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the old man thanked the soldier, promising to

hang the portrait above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the

soldier had departed, the old man set about his task. True to his word,

the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars

worth of paintings. And then the old man sat in his chair and spent

Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks

that followed, the man learned that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart. As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease his grief, as he

realized that, although his son was no longer with him, the boy's life

would live on because of those he had touched. The painting of his son

soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in

the priceless pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told

his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following

spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art

world was in anticipation, since, with the old man's passing, and his only

son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to

the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on

Christmas Day, the way he had received his greatest gift.

The day finally arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered

to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings.

Dreams could be fulfilled this day; greatness could be achieved as some

could say," I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a

painting that was not on any museum list... It was the painting of the

old man's son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was

silent.

"Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Moments passed as no

one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that

painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and get on to

the good ones." More voices echoed in agreement. "No, we have to sell

this one-first," replied the auctioneer. "Now who will take the son?"

Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. "Will you take $10 for the

painting? That's all I have. "Will anyone go higher?" called the

auctioneer. After more silence he said, "Going once, going twice...

Gone!" The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone shouted, "Now

we can get on with it and bid on these treasures!"

The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced that the auction was

over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Then someone spoke up and

asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a portrait

of some old man's son! What about all of the other paintings? There are

millions of dollars worth of art work here. We demand an explanation!"

The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the

father, whoever takes the son...gets it all."

Just as the art collectors discovered on that day...The message is still

the same...the love of the Father....a Father whose son gave his life

for others...And because of that Father's love...Whoever takes the Son

gets it all.

- Be Inspired.

WAYS TO BOOST SELF MOTIVATION

I find motivation in doing what I love every day, which is empowering people to take charge of their health. It drives me crazy that so many people are suffering unnecessarily. Over the years I have seen so many people get healthy with simple lifestyle changes. Sharing this information out with a much larger audience is a huge motivation for me.

—Dr. Frank Lipman, founder of  BE WELL by DR. FRANK LIPMAN

I was raised in a small town in Indiana and realized the connection between effort and results at an early age. I do believe luck is important, but also believe that the harder one works, the luckier one often becomes. The first time I applied to Stanford Business School, I was rejected. Rather than settle, I found out what I needed to do to improve my chances, reapplied and got in. Grit and determination are two of the critical elements to being a successful entrepreneur. 

I start the day with 15 minutes of meditation, followed by asking myself a series of questions: What do I plan to achieve today? How can I be more successful than yesterday? Which of my various qualities and abilities will be most useful? I then challenge myself by trying something new every day. I exercise and try to get out of the house to attend events and meet positive, interesting and successful people who can teach me new things1.

—Ekaterina Lyapustina, founder and CEO, JetNest 

I find self-motivation by treating every situation like the first. No two situations are ever alike in business and life. Thinking of each challenge, task or obstacle as an opportunity to learn  and grow both the company and my experience only enhances my excitement for new activities, and keeps me on a moving forward with some of the more “mundane” requirements of the job. It helps me put my best foot forward, no matter what the need is.

I am an incredibly driven person and it's a personality trait I've had since I was young. Driven is just who I am. As an entrepreneur though, I've faced various obstacles, self-doubt, etc., and for most people, staying driven is a challenge. When I feel like that, I remember what I'm fighting for. For me, self-motivation comes from striving to achieve anything I set my mind to and keeping my eyes focused on seemingly impossible dreams.

—Sunny Bonnell, co-founder and creative director, Motto 

I find self-motivation from a well-rested, focused mind. Sleeo is the key for me.1 When I am tired and overwrought, I don't operate at my highest capacity. Self-motivation requires energy, concentration and intention. When I'm excited by reaching a certain goal, that passion is my fuel and I am able to streamline my thoughts toward the task at hand.

—Claudia Mason, model, actress, author and producer

- Be Inspired.

A FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTER

I ran into a stranger as he passed by.

"Oh, excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please, excuse me too,

Wasn't even watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said good-bye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My daughter stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.

"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

She walked away, her little heart broken

at how harshly I had spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,

But the children you love, you seem to abuse.

Look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers she brought for you.

She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.

She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,

And you never saw the tears in her eyes.

"By this time, I felt very small,

and now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by her bed;

"Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"

She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em, because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like'em, especially the blue.

I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.

I love you anyway."

I said, "Daughter, I love you too,

And I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

- Be Inspired.

LOVE CIRCLE

A child's love is like a whisper,  
given in little ways we do not hear
but if you listen closely it will be very clear.

They often do not say it loud but in how they come to you...
Daddy, will you play with me?
Mommy, tie my shoe?

...the many ways they tell you changes as they grow
Dad, I made the team today!
Mom, I've Got to go!

Pop, I need some money
You see there's...this girl at school...
Mama, I met a boy today and wow he is so cool...!

Dad, I've got something to tell you... I think she is the one.
Mom, He asked me to marry him. Would you love him as your son?

Dad, I've got some news for you...
It's gonna be a boy!
Mom, I'm kind of scared of this, yet I'm filled with joy!

A child's love is like a whisper,
given in little ways we do not hear
but if you listen closely it will be very clear.

They often do not say it loud but in how they come to you...
Grandpa, will you play with me?
Grandma, tie my shoe...

It is never ending
A blessing from above
Listen to the whispers of a child's love.      ( by Author Unk.)

• Be Inspired         

USAIN BOLT

Between his Olympic successes Usain stayed firmly in the global spotlight winning three gold medals and setting two individual world records at the 2009 IAAF World T&F Championships in Berlin, Germany.  He lowered his 100m time to a staggering 9.58 secs, his 200m time to 19.19 secs and running the third leg helped Jamaica to gold in the 4x100m.  He defended his World Championships title in the 200m at the 2011 IAAF World T&F Championships in Daegu, Korea and anchored Jamaica to another world record of 37.04 secs in the 4x100m.  In 2013 at the IAAF World T&F Championships in Moscow Usain won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m to make it 8 World Championship gold medals.   Usain is currently one of the biggest names in the world of sport – both on and off the track.

While the world danced and celebrated with this precocious talent, this was a dream waiting to happen and not just an overnight sensation.

As early as age 14, young Usain was opening eyes with his lightning speed from regional championships in western Jamaica to national meets set in Kingston to meets in the wider Caribbean.

Usain’s ascent to the pinnacle of world sprinting started with the most unlikely of events as his first medal at any meet came in the 80 hurdles in Class Three at Western Champs held on the campus of his Alma Mater William Knibb Memorial High in Martha Brae, Trelawny when he ‘jumped’ his way to a bronze medal.

Because he towered above his peers even then, Bolt was also entered in the high jump event and was a promising fast bowler in cricket before been encouraged to channel his energies on the track.

By 2001 Bolt became a known commodity and he sent signals that he would be a world beater in early 2002 when he cruised to a hand timed 20.3 seconds to win the 200m at Western Champs finals at Catherine Hall.

Later that year he went on to win the 200m/400m double at CARIFTA Trials before winning four gold medals at the meet held in Nassau, Bahamas.

He announced his arrival to the wider global audience in July 2002 when at the IAAF World Junior T&F Championships in Kingston in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch these meets, he won the host nation’s only individual gold medal, winning the 200m in 20.61 seconds.  He left that meet with three medals including two silver medals in the relays, anchoring the 4x100m team and was part of the 4x400m team as well.

That was the start of a meteoric climb to the top that also saw him winning two IAAF Rising Star awards.

It was not always smooth sailing however as injuries slowed him down at several junctures of his career.

Soon after breaking the Word Junior Record in the 200m with a time of 19.93 seconds at the CARIFTA Games in Hamilton, Bermuda in 2004, Bolt was slowed by a troublesome hamstring injury.  He qualified for the final of the 200m at the 2005 IAAF World T&F Championships in Helsinki, Finland but in cold and wet weather pulled up before the finish holding his hamstring.

He missed what turned out to be a ‘Jamaican party’ at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2006 when he suffered another hamstring injury while running a leg of the 4x400m relay for the IAAF High performance Centre’s team at the Gibson Relays in Kingston.  Jamaican athletes swept all the sprint events at the meet, despite his absence.

Fortunately, he recovered well enough later that year to set a personal best of 19.88 secs in the 200m and place second in the 200m at the IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Stuttgart, Germany.

2007 was the breakthrough year in that he broke the 30 year old Jamaican 200m Record, held by the great Donald Quarrie, with a time of 19.75 secs to win the Jamaican Senior T&F Championships.  He went to the 2007 IAAF World T&F Championships in Osaka, Japan in good form and won two silver medals in the 200m and 4x 100m relay.

In 2008 Usain Bolt rewrote the history books and became one of the biggest sports stats on the planet.  He moved down in distance to the 100m sprint and in his second race of the year broke the world record with a time of 9.72 secs in New York.  Since then he has gone from strength to strength with his heroic achievements in the Olympic Games in Beijing and London and in the IAAF World T&F Championships in Berlin, Daegu , Moscow & Beijing.  He is undoubtedly the ‘World’s Fastest Man’ having broken the 100m world record three times and the 200m record two times.

Usain has been awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on two occasions (2009 & 2010); the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year five times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013) as well as many awards in many countries in all corners of the world.  He has his own clothing line in conjunction with Puma; his own watch made by Hublot; his own restaurant ‘Tracks & Records’ in Kingston, Jamaica; the ‘Usain Bolt Foundation’ and endorses some of the top brands in the world.

• Be Inspired.

WAYS TO KNOW YOUR MIGHT BE AN ENTERPRENEUR

1.You come from a family of individuals who just couldn't work for someone else. Your parents worked for themselves. Though this isn't true for every entrepreneur (myself included), many have a family history with one or both parents having been self-employed.

2. You hate the status quo. You’re a person who is always questioning why people do the things they do. You strive to make things better and are willing to take action on it.

3. You’re self-confident. Have you ever met an entrepreneur who was pessimistic or self-loathing? After all, if you don’t have confidence, how can others believe in you?  Most entrepreneurs are very optimistic about everything around them.

4. You’re passionate. There will be times when you spend an excessive amount of time and do not make a dollar. It’s your passion that will keep you going.

5. You don’t take no for an answer. An entrepreneur never gives up -- ever.

6. You have the ability to create unlikely partnerships from out of nowhere because of your ability to connect the dots. People tend to gravitate toward you because you are likable. Many times this is because of your passion.  

7. You spend more time with your co-founder than your spouse or significant other.

8.  You see opportunities everywhere. For example, you walk into a building and are curious about its worth or the companies inside.

9. The daily commute to your office is from the bedroom to the living room.

10. You were always a lousy employee and probably have been fired a lot. Don't worry; you're not alone. I personally have been fired several times in my life. Don't take it as a sign that you're a bad person. Sometimes it's in your DNA.

11. You’ve always resisted authority; that's why you've had a problem holding down a job.

12. You believe that there is more than one definition of job security: You realize that your job is safe as long as you are in control as opposed to relying on a boss who could ruin your career after one swift mistake.

13. Most of your wardrobe consists of T-shirts; some you probably got at SXSW. Others display your company's name or logo.

14. You have a competitive nature and are willing to lose. You always know that you can do something better.

15. You check GitHub when you wake up in the morning.

16. You ask to be paid in game tickets, shoes or whatever else you love. There are just some things that are better than money, right?

17. Your idea of a holiday is a working day without anything interfering with the tasks you really need to get done.

18. You’re unemployable, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Life skills are more valuable than the office politics commonly found at 9-to-5 gigs.

19. You work more than 60 hours a week; yet you earned more money at an hourly job when you were in high school.

20. You want to be in control and in command of your own company. You typically like overseeing most things that go on at your company.

Be Inspired.

Inspirational Quotes

Though many are the forces threatening our Christian family unity, we must encourage one another and build each other up Priscilla Doremus, Focused: A Daily Devotional 

When you are around people that have the same mindset as you do, it helps encourage you to work towards your goals even more. Michael Henson, Morning Routine

The reason a smile attracts people in a social gathering is that they encourage positive response.Genevieve Amor, Self Esteem 

People are basically more willing to work together, when the atmosphere encourages it. Adam Burns And Sandra Banks, Leadership Basics 

. . . choose to confide in friends with sunny dispositions who will encourage you to be more positive.Zayne Parker, Anxiety: Mastery 

"Today is the oldest you have been, and the youngest you will ever be. Make the most of it!” 

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." Jack Layton

New research shows we can take control of our capacity to learn. We can all get to be better learners.Eimantas Gabalis, How To Get Smarter: How To Increase Your Brain Power And Intelligence

"We do learn something about ourselves when we are up against the wall, and we do most certainly come out stronger." 

Tina Sloan 

"We don't have to wait for something nice to happen to us, we can be aggressive and do something nice for ourselves." Joyce Meyer, eat the cookie. . .buy the shoes 

f you want to dismiss a negative thought, the only way to do so is to think of something positive and constructive." Emmet Fox 

If we are sowing spiritual seeds by doing the right thing, then we will reap the blessed results of that as well. The seeds we are sowing today will be reaped in the years to come." Greg Laurie 

"Most people claim that they feel like they're trapped in a rat race, without an exit. While we can all feel this way from time to time, it's important to know that there is a way out." Debeena Harris, Mindfulness

• Be Inspired.

THE RISE OF SIMONE BILE ( Olympian Record Breaker)

American gymnast Simone Biles became the first woman to win three straight all-around titles at the World Championships. She won the women's individual all-around gold medal and led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, nicknamed "The Final Five," to win gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Synopsis

Born in Ohio in 1997, Simone Biles has become one of America’s top gymnasts. After dominating at the junior elite level, she won her first U.S. and world all-around titles in 2013. In 2015, she claimed a record third straight world all-around title. After winning the all-around at the Olympic trials, she was named to the 2016 Olympic women's gymnastics team. She led the U.S. team to win gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and continued to dominate the competition, winning the women's individual all-around gold medal.

Early Life

Born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, gymnast Simone Biles has emerged as a champion in her sport. She and her sister, Adria, were raised by their grandfather Ron and grandmother Nellie, after their mother’s struggle with substance abuse problem. 

Ron and Nellie eventually officially adopted the two girls, and Biles calls her grandmother “Mom.” Nellie has been a constant source of support through Biles’s rise in the world of competitive athletics; as the gymnast told CNN, “She encourages me and never lets me feel down about something for too long.”

Biles discovered her abilities at an early age. According to the official USA Gymnastics website, she visited a gymnastics center on a field trip with her day care group, noting, “While there I imitated the other gymnasts, and Coach Ronnie noticed. The gym sent home a letter requesting that I join tumbling or gymnastics.” Very soon, Biles was on her way to developing those natural gifts.

Top U.S. Gymnast

Simone Biles began competing as a level 8 gymnast in 2007, and by 2011 she had cemented her standing at the junior elite level. That year, she took the top spot in the vault and balance beam events and finished third in the all-around at the American Classic. She followed with an impressive series of showings in 2012, winning the vault and the all-around events at the American Classic, the Alamo Classic, the Houston National Invitational and the Secret U.S. Classic.

Biles soon emerged as a force to be reckoned with at the senior elite level, bursting into the spotlight as the all-around winner at the 2013 U.S. P&G Championships. Also that year, she delivered a historic showing at the World Championships by becoming the first female African-American athlete to win gold in the all-around. As she explained to The Hollywood Reporter, this impressive victory likely served as an example to other young gymnasts: "I think it inspires a lot of the little girls out there to go in the gym and train harder," she said.

Biles continued to build on her successes in 2014, again taking the U.S. and world titles in the all-around competition. She also won gold in the vault, floor exercise, balance beam and all-around at the Secret U.S. Classic that same year. During her floor routines, Biles often executed what has become her signature move: a double-flip with a half-twist.

In 2015, Biles became the first woman to win her third consecutive world all-around title, giving her a record 10 gold medals at the international competition. Considered one of the country’s top Olympic hopefuls, she then resumed training for Rio 2016 at World Champions Centre, which is owned by her family, in Spring, Texas.

In July 2016, Biles wowed gymnastics fans with an impressive performance, winning the all-around title and first in the floor exercise and vault. She earned a spot on the 2016 Olympic team along with fellow gymnasts Laurie Hernandez Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and Madison Kocian.

2016 Olympic Games in Rio

On August 9, 2016, Biles led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win the gold. She earned an impressive 15.933 in the vault, a 15.3 on balance beam, and 15.8 for a crowd-pleasing floor routine in which she performed “the Biles,” her signature move comprised of a double layout with a half twist. The powerhouse gymnast shared the victory with Raisman, Douglas, Hernandez and Kocian, a team which calls themselves “The Final Five.” 

Raisman explained the meaning behind the team nickname on the Today Show: “We're the Final Five because this is [coach] Marta [Karolyi's] last Olympics and without her none of this would have been possible . . .We wanted to do it for her just because she's there with us every single day.” 

She added: "This is the last Olympics where there's a five-girl team. The next Olympics is only going to be a four-person team." 

The Final Five are the third American women’s gymnastic team to win gold, following team victories in 1996 and 2012. After taking the team gold, Biles tweeted “dreams DO come true” and a photo of the U.S. team on the medal podium. 

- Be Inspired.