It is typical human behavior to have crazy aspirations and dreams as we go through our childhood. One of those crazy aspirations that we have is to become an action movie star and save the world from the evil guys.
‘The Terminator‘ is one of the most popular action movie series in the world. I’m pretty sure we’ve all watched that movie and wished we could do all those supernatural stuff ourselves.
In today’s post, I’m going to share some life lessons that I learned from the terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Before we move on to the topic, make sure to comment your favorite movie from the series or your favorite Arnold movie in general.
Arnold is one of the most inspirational personalities that I’ve read or heard about. The story of how he came from a poor family in Austria and made it to the pinnacle of success never fails to uplift our spirits.
I’ve been listening to a lot of his motivational talks recently, and I would like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned.
Lesson 1 : Find your vision
Arnold believes that having a clear vision of what he wanted in life was his biggest strength. Hailing from a small town in Austria, his ambitions were so high that even his family members said that they would be impossible to achieve.
Considering the circumstances that he grew up in, not many people would have set high hopes for their lives. Amidst all the odds, he remained steadfast in his pursuit of greatness, because the trials and tribulations couldn’t dampen the flame of his vision.
“Having a goal or a vision is highly necessary; people who don’t have a goal drift around aimlessly and end up nowhere“, he says.
Growing up in a war-ridden country, his first vision was to move to the United States of America. Fascinated by a documentary that he saw in school, he dreamt of moving to a beautiful country like America.
When he began to think about how he was going to get there is when he found his vision for bodybuilding. His inspiration came from a bodybuilding magazine with a picture of the legend Reg Park on its cover.
Similar to Arnold, Park had also come from a poor family and a small town. The article spoke about how hard he had worked and the rewards he reaped because of it. His journey from a small beginning to becoming a mister universe title holder 3 times and starring in multiple movies inspired Arnold to take the same path.
As soon as the vision became clear, there was no stopping him. He dedicated his life to his purpose and began working as hard as he can.
Lesson 2 -> Ignore the naysayers
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, people will always have something to talk about you. Arnold was no different.
He has had the pleasure of having multiple careers in his life and he says that he has faced criticism and discouragement in all of them.
When he wanted to be a bodybuilder, people said that it would be impossible for someone from Austria to become a successful bodybuilder. When he wanted to be a movie star, people said there was no chance of him being a movie star with that accent of his.
He achieved everything that they said he wouldn’t because he paid no attention to their words. Ignoring the naysayers was one of the best decisions of his life, he says.
Lesson 3 -> Work your butt off
We’ve heard this from so many successful people and this advice should be imprinted into our brains by now. There is no way around this step when it comes to success. It’s common knowledge.
Arnold says that he had to work 5 hours a day on fitness, work at a construction site, go to college, take acting classes, and do much more to reach the level that he did. With so many things on his schedule, he didn’t have a single minute to waste.
He was immensely successful in whatever he did in life, and it all came by virtue of an incredible work ethic.
Lesson 4 -> Don’t just take, give
“Tear down that mirror that makes you always look at yourself, and you will be able to see the many people whom you can help“, he says. If you are in a position to help, never restrain. That’s what God teaches us as well.
Arnold has helped train special Olympians, he started an after school program to the most vulnerable children to get them out of violence and drugs and he has done many more as such.
These are some of the best lessons that I learned from the life of the great man. These are the lessons that we can cherish for a lifetime if we could follow them.
Don’t forget to share your favorite movie of his in the comments. If you would like to read about another personality, you can mention that as well.
Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great day.
Wordsbykenaniah 