Ray Kroc
American Ray Kroc has repeatedly started his career from scratch.
He worked part-time as a pianist in a jazz ensemble, sold real estate, and worked as a traveling salesman, selling paper cups and mixers in cafes and canteens. In general, he was not the most successful person until in 1954 he met the McDonald brothers, the owners of a small eatery in California. Kroc bought a franchise from McDonald's for $16,000 to open similar restaurants in the United States. To do this, he had to mortgage the house.
“I was returning to Chicago with a contract with the McDonald brothers in my pocket. A scarred veteran, seasoned on the front lines of business, I was still eager to fight. I was 52 years old and had diabetes and early stage arthritis. I had lost my gallbladder and thyroid in previous battles. Despite everything, I had confidence that the best was ahead of me,” Krok recalled.
In 1955, he opened a restaurant in Illinois, and in 1961 he bought all the rights to McDonald's.
To date, McDonald's is the world's largest fast food restaurant chain. Time magazine included Kroc in its list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
Photo: Deborah Feingold/Getty Images
New life: coming to terms with divorce and writing a novel
To start a new life after a high-profile divorce from Francois Hollande, the former first lady... wrote a book. Valerie Trierweiler says releasing this novel was vital to turning the page. Almost 600 thousand copies sold out in a matter of weeks, the author was included in the list of the most read French-language authors of the year.
“Thank you for this moment” is a confessional book where Valerie paints a portrait of Francois Hollande in more than unflattering colors. In the media, the first lady was condemned and criticized for such frankness, but readers send her hundreds of supportive letters, recognizing themselves in her stories. A pocket version has already been published and a film adaptation is being prepared, and Valerie herself assures that the original therapy has worked, the grievances have spilled out onto paper and she is ready to start a new life without this burden. Valerie will not write anymore about the years spent married to the president - she no longer wants to remember, she wants to move forward.
Vera Wang
The famous wedding designer Vera Wang was a professional figure skater until she was 18 and dreamed of a sports career. She placed in the top five twice at the US Junior National Championships and was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Alas, Vera’s dreams were not destined to come true: she did not make the Olympic team. Even then she began to think about a career as a designer. Vera received a degree in art history from Sarah Lawrence College. As a student, she met the editor of American Vogue, who invited her to an internship. At the age of 23, she became a fashion editor and devoted 17 years to the glossy, but could not give up her dream of becoming a designer. At the age of 40, Vera decided to start her own business and soon opened her own salon of wedding and evening dresses.
“Was it difficult to launch your own business after 17 years at Vogue, starting from scratch at 40? I'd be lying if I said no. After all, all the doors that are open to you during status work slam shut when you start working “on your own.” I felt like a debutant graduate and liked to joke in interviews that I was not a young designer, but an old new designer,” recalls Vera.
Now Vera Wang dresses Victoria Beckham, Ivanka Trump, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities. The designer not only makes wedding and evening dresses, but also produces costumes for figure skaters, perfumes and glasses. In 2021, Wong was ranked 29th on America's Richest Self-Made Women by Forbes.
Photo: Katsumi Kasahara/AP/TASS
Sheri Schmeltzer
Sheri was 40 years old, she did not work anywhere, raised three children with her husband and had an outstanding loan. In general, nothing foreshadowed that she would turn into a millionaire, and even so quickly - literally in a year. And all thanks to routine.
Sheri wanted to add a little variety and creativity to Crocks products out of boredom by covering the holes with rhinestones and all sorts of gags. Fortunately, the family had a lot of such slippers, and there was something to experiment with. Friends appreciated the creative approach, and orders poured in.
One day, at a family council, the husband proposed organizing a website selling accessories for Crocs, to which the enterprising woman agreed. And in 2005, a company called Jibbitz appeared. At first, Cheryl worked around the clock, managing to find time for the children. She and her husband sold the product not only on the Internet, but also offered it directly in specialized stores.
Deciding that wasting time on writing a business plan was pointless, we decided to act directly and aggressively. They called their friends to offer shoe design services. But no matter how difficult it was at first, after a year and a half, Crocks bought the rights to this company, bringing income to the Schmelzers in the amount of $10 million. And the most interesting thing is that it began with the fact that they simply wanted to close their loan, without even imagining what success they could achieve.
Taikichiro Mori
Professor Taikichiro Mori taught trading theory at Yokohama University for many years. In 1959, after the death of his rice farmer father, Mori inherited the family's modest business and began investing in real estate, buying land that had fallen significantly in value after World War II. At 55, he retired from university and founded the Mori Building Company in central Tokyo. The company, which Mori managed for decades, built more than a hundred skyscrapers in Japan and China.
Mori twice - in 1991 and 1992 - took first place in the ranking of the richest people in the world according to Forbes. At that time, his net worth was $13 billion.
"I feel uncomfortable. After all, I live and work at my own pace all this time and only now have I received such attention,” Mori said in an interview with reporters after the publication of the Forbes rating.
Despite his wealth, he lived modestly, abstained from smoking and drinking alcohol, and wore a simple black kimono to work.
Maury died of heart failure at the age of 88, leaving behind a huge fortune.
Photo: Mamyrock
Dani Johnson
Just an amazing story that shows that even in the most difficult situations there is a way out. Dani Johnson was born in Hawaii into a family of drug addicts. Childhood, as you guessed, was difficult, so there were no prospects for a happy future.
At 21, she was a girl of easy virtue, working part-time as a waitress. She had only 2 dollars in her pocket and 37 thousand in debt and lived in her car. She gave birth to a daughter, who was raised by other people and, of course, used drugs in addition to alcohol.
One day, before Christmas, realizing that this was a dead end and there was no point in going further, Dani decided to drown herself. But at the moment when she was already under water, she heard a voice that told her that there are things better than drugs, and she could live her life differently if she did not use.
Returning back to the car, she noticed a booklet advertising a weight loss drug. Deciding that this was a chance, the girl called this company, finding out that in order to sell products she must have money and a license.
Neither was available, so Dani dialed the telecommunications company from a phone booth and set up voicemail for $15. She wrote a flyer by hand, where she indicated the mail number, and after 3 hours she had 25 applications. When there were about 40 of them, Johnson recruited this company back, telling her how great she was at finding clients, and that she wanted to get her percentage for it.
The management agreed to pay her, but there was a problem with the delivery address for the goods, because she was still living in the car. But even here the girl got out of it, agreeing with a local alcohol store that delivery would be to his address. And so in the first month she earned $4,000, and a year later - $250 thousand. Today, Johnson is considered a multimillionaire and the owner of 18 centers that help cope with excess weight.
Ruth Flowers
Englishwoman Ruth Flowers, having retired, gave music lessons and lectured on the work of Charles Dickens, and at the age of 68 she decided to become a DJ. This idea came to her when her grandson invited her to a nightclub for his birthday.
“At first they didn’t even want to let me in, because I was much older than the usual club visitors. It was noisy inside, with colorful lights flashing, but suddenly I realized that all these young people were having a great time. And I thought I could play at parties too. My husband died, I’m already retired, I have enough free time, so why not?” — Flowers recalled.
Her grandson introduced her to producer Orel Simon, and while Ruth was learning to mix tracks, he was trying to find at least one venue for his ward to perform. Only two years later, Orel managed to include “Mami Rock” (Ruth took this pseudonym) in the program of one of the parties at the Cannes Film Festival. The audience received the grandmother-DJ with delight. Over the following weeks, the producer received dozens of offers from various venues around the world, and Ruth became a real celebrity.
Photo: Livingwithoutmoney
New life: quitting a prestigious profession for the sake of nature
Gael, 39 years old
“My life changed not for reasons of the heart, but for professional reasons. Until 2003, it was like I was racing at top speed. I worked as a flight attendant in business aviation on private jets in Bourges and Switzerland. They could call me at four o'clock in the morning, and I had to fly out early in the morning or the next day. When I first started, it was a holiday job, and until I was 25, it amused me. But when family and children appeared, life became simply unbearable. And I got older, I wanted to be treated differently. “Be beautiful and be silent” no longer suits me. My soul was asking for something much deeper.
I was a flight attendant and a fashion model, my life was very colorful - the dream of many, but one day I wanted to give up these fake sequins and become closer to nature.
I have always liked plants and animals. Since childhood, I have loved horses and been involved in equestrian sports. Once I even caught myself thinking that physically I was high in the sky, but I dreamed of finding myself somewhere in a deep forest! One. This is happiness for me.
Of course I had a lot of doubts! It was necessary to start with studies, which would also have to be paid for. I was a little afraid of my husband's reaction. But, fortunately, he agreed and fully supported me. I just have a golden husband! He always pushed me to do exactly what I really want.
And I chose the “natural” direction in order to finally leave the “artificial” sphere where I had previously worked. As a consequence of these changes, we moved. Now we live not in Paris, but in the Parisian district (95th arrondissement). I became an equestrian park guide. This is a completely new profession in France. I'm from the "first edition". It helped me that as a child I was already involved in equestrian sports. At first I planned to become a regular hiking guide to work in nature.
Studying at 30 was difficult. I forgot a lot. Plus I was very worried about the financial aspect. It was difficult to realize that I was not bringing anything to the family, that everything now rested with my husband. But we still reached the end. The study lasted a year, and a lot had to be sacrificed. The road to the training center was long. I couldn’t get a place to stay overnight because I wanted to go back to my children every evening. Household chores have not disappeared either: cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking.
In parallel with my studies, I took up naturopathy. I used to try to cure my son’s eczema this way, and it worked. Now I help others too. For example, what do nettles mean to you? Living in Paris, I thought it was just an unpleasant thorny plant. Now I make herbal teas from it for my clients. Nettle is incredibly useful, I even grow it in my garden.
What I like about my new life is that I can spend as much time with my children as they need and as much time as I want. I no longer have to rush somewhere at four o'clock in the morning or worry about who will be with the kids on Wednesday while I'm at work.
I don’t regret at all that I changed everything in my life. What I did with my life is for my children too.
I studied for a year to become a horse guide, but after that I went on to study to become a naturopath. And I continue to study now. This is a profession where I will be an eternal student. Then I opened my own company. And I can tell you right away that more than one year passed before I accrued my first salary as a naturopath. You need to be prepared for financial difficulties. You need to acquire a clientele, you need to be known. It's not as easy as it seems, but the game is worth the candle.
My husband is proud of me and what I have accomplished. He thinks I've completely changed."
Heidemarie Schwermer
A successful psychotherapist, Heidemarie Schwermer, at the age of 52, founded the barter network “Give and Take”: its participants paid for something not with money, but with services.
Two years later, Schwermer decided to stop using money altogether: she terminated the rental agreement, and distributed things and furniture to her neighbors. Heidemarie left only two hundred euros for herself as a “reserve fund,” but she never needed this money.
In exchange for food and lodging, Schwermer took on any job: washing windows, walking dogs, helping with housework. Soon the media talked about her, and the pensioner began giving lectures at universities in different cities.
“Living without money and property is quite possible and very pleasant. Most people just don't realize it's possible. “I feel free and happy because I am confident that my lifestyle can become a new future,” she said.
Schwermer initially planned her experiment to last a year, but it dragged on for 20 years, until her death in March 2016.
New life: decide to migrate illegally
One of the most famous refugees, whose story has made the rounds of all European newspapers, is the Syrian Amir Mehtr, who illegally sailed to his new homeland. He swam seven hours from Turkey to Greece - and this in September, when the water temperature is not conducive to such feats. Amir was a member of the national swimming team, but lost his home and property during the civil war. He couldn't find the money to pay the smugglers bringing in migrants illegally, so he spent several months preparing for the trip. “Every second I thought I was going to die, but I kept swimming. I looked at the rocks ahead and thought that my future was there,” said Amir Mehtr. Sweden eventually became his new home.
Victoria
My story began in childhood - my family was dysfunctional, I was raised by one father. From the age of 15 I lived an independent life. Until the age of 32, she lived in gloom and despair. She was imprisoned twice and spent a total of 6 years there. When I went to prison for the second time, it was there that I learned about the organization “Druhe Dikhannya”, and they helped me. They gave a helping hand. Now I live a new life, got married, and help women in...
Story #2: Nikolai, St. Petersburg
- Request/problem:
advanced form of neurosis, panic attacks that interfere with leading a normal lifestyle, being productive and enjoying life. - Taken responsibility:
I take full responsibility for my health. The uncontrollable restlessness of the mind is also my responsibility. - Conscious decision/choice:
learn to “get along” with your mind. Master a technique that allows you to consciously and independently calm your mind at any time - without pills and psychotherapists. - Result:
read below in the letter, highlighted in bold italics.
“Igorek, hello, dear sansei, 2 weeks ago I completed the course. Immediately after finishing the course, I began to take it again, but no longer repeated one lesson ten times, but one at a time. As you know, my neglected neurosis motivated me. I understood that neurosis is from the head, it is the lack of the ability to turn off your brain
, who begins to completely control you and slide you into the abyss of suffering.
Therefore, like air, I needed an effective practice of turning off the mind. So, after 4 years of meaningless wanderings to the most expensive psychoanalysts, I came to meditation.
My expectations were met 1000%. I literally rose from the dead. Almost everything has changed in my life.
I’ll say a few words about what advanced neurosis is. This is when you sleep for 12 hours straight and then you can’t get out of bed, you can’t even raise your arms because you have absolutely no strength. You take a book and cannot read a single line in it. You understand all the words, but you can't put them into sentences because you have a complete lack of concentration. You are filled to the brim with fears, panic attacks, depression, suffering and absolute self-doubt. Now, as you know, everything has changed.
The energy is overflowing, I am active and effective 18 hours a day, my brain works like a razor (but only as a tool that I use, not as my master, and there is no longer an equal sign between me and my brain, I have become MUCH bigger than my brain, because I learned to observe it). Igor, the course is beyond praise. I honestly think it's the best product on the market. I love absolutely everything and am grateful for absolutely everything in your course with all my heart. Your support is awesome. It amazes me that you take the time to support everyone, and you communicate not like a mega guru from a pedestal, but like a good friend who is always there. Igor, dear friend, thank you again for everything. And thank you to the Lord for giving us the opportunity to meet in this life. See you later, hugs!”
Pierpaolo Petrusiello
This Italian, who lost his left arm and forearm as a result of a motorcycle accident, was the first in the world to learn to control a biomechanical prosthesis using his thoughts. According to Petrusiello, this required a lot of effort, he had to train for almost a month, from 9 am to 6 pm. The experiment in which Petrusiello participated gives hope to many people who have lost limbs to be able to return to normal life.
Formula for Internal Transformation
My observations of my life and the stories of change of dozens of people allowed me to notice one pattern - I call it the formula of internal transformation.
Here is the formula:
“acceptance of responsibility >>> conscious decision >>> desired result”
I'll explain now.
All the successful stories of change that I have met begin with one thing - with the fact that a person REALIZES that everything in his life is his full responsibility, his choice.
That’s why I suggested to you last time the “it’s my choice” practice. It's great that someone is already starting to realize this.
The first and most difficult step has been taken!
This is what is important: awareness of your responsibility is NOT pessimistic - “everything is already predetermined and nothing can be changed.” NO!
On the contrary, a deep awareness of your responsibility for your life inspires you. After all, if everything in our life is our choice, then WE HAVE A CHOICE. And our life is in our hands.
As a logical consequence, a person makes conscious decisions out of an understanding of his responsibility and this leads to the results he strives for.
Agree, it all sounds quite simple.
In fact, it is that simple. All that remains is to look at real examples of how this principle works, and you will be able to use this formula in your life.
So below are some stories of how people have changed their lives for the better.
I wrote a short commentary for the first five stories to draw your attention to the general pattern hidden between the lines.
And then I will give a few more inspiring stories, but without my comments. I want you to analyze them yourself and notice the principle we are talking about.
Begin.
Valentina
I got robbed. In order to restore everything, I was offered to go to work in the Odessa region. I fell into slavery. It turned out to be gypsies. There we collected zucchini. From there I was sold to Zhashkov. We shelled walnuts. I felt sick while working. In order not to make a fuss, I was taken to Kyiv. It was a stroke. In the hospital I just wanted to take pills and die. Thank you for taking me to the center. I arrived on December 20, 2021, and they offered me to stay and live here. I am very thankful.
Yaroslav
From the age of 14 I was in prison, and served a total of 14.5 years. I went out and couldn’t find the meaning of life, all my relatives abandoned me. When I was serving my sentence for the fourth time, I found out about it and after my release I went there. I stayed there for six months. I’ve been living a full life for 6 years now, got a job, got married, gave birth to two children – a boy and a girl.
Story #5: Gulnara, Italy
- Request/problem:
crisis in several areas of life at once, obsessive thoughts, fears - Taking responsibility:
states of abundance and harmony are born from within, rather than coming from without. My inner state is my responsibility. - Conscious decision/choice:
working hard on yourself through meditation practice - The result obtained:
watch the video below (if you are in a hurry, start at 2.00)
Now try it yourself.
Below are some more inspiring stories of personal transformation. But now I want you to notice in these stories the principle we are talking about:
“acceptance of responsibility >>> conscious decision >>> desired result”
Irina
She was born in the Khabarovsk Territory, her mother died at the age of 10, and her father and aunt took up the upbringing. Four years later my brother took me. Then she lived an independent life, in 1985 she gave birth to a son, in 1992 she came to Ukraine and got married. Family life did not work out, and we divorced very soon. Then everything got worse, and in 2000 I ended up in prison, after 4 years I was released, and again - a roommate, alcohol... In 2021 I found myself on the street. In 2021 I learned about the center, and now I live here. I lived for 20 years without documents at all. Now I’m looking for my son, we have lost contact with him.
Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright
They were responsible for the invention of the first controlled heavier-than-air aircraft. The aircraft, which was created in Dayton, Ohio, and flew in North Carolina on December 17, 1903, ushered in the “pioneer era” of aviation, the production of the safest form of transportation.
Dasha
Dasha was found in a brothel paralyzed, hungry and without proper care. Next to her, her bedridden grandmother was dying of gangrene. And the mother was in an alcoholic stupor.
Dasha was brought to Moscow on June 10, 2021. She was in serious condition, they fed her from a spoon, gave her massages, and worked out her limbs.
Dasha has been living in the center for more than a year now. She learned to walk again, and today she lives a new, full life.
