The Stallone Factor

The Underdog - "His whole life was million-to-one shot."

Who is the underdog? He's the person who isn't expected to succeed, isn't meant to overcome the obstacles that lie ahead. For those "underdogs" out there, this is for you.

There is an actor, who I'm sure most of us know or have at least heard of; yes, it's Sylvester Stallone. Stallone was the ultimate underdog in life who became a household name and an instant success.

Larger Than Life - A "nobody" becomes a "somebody"

What most people don't know is that Stallone struggled. Stallone was an aspiring actor, and he was failing miserably. Determined to make acting work, he had to do some things most of us wouldn't do, some of them humiliating. At the end of his rope, the man even had to sell his dog to eat. He was at his lowest point when he decided to change his life, and unknowingly to his fans, change theirs as well.

So what did Stallone do? He went to work. He sat down and wrote an Oscar winning screenplay in just a few days. Stallone was offered $300,000 for his screenplay but he turned it down because the producers wanted someone else, an established actor to play the part. Well thank you very much Sly for saving us from Burt Reynolds (no offense Burt). Staying true to himself, Stallone held out for the right producers, and they agreed he could be the lead role of Rocky Balboa...the rest is history.

The Lesson

So what's my point? There's a Sylvester Stallone in all of us. Even his character Rocky Balboa - that was Sly to the core. Just like his character Rocky, Stallone had that fighter mentality, and just like Rocky, he never gave up. That's why he was the ONLY person who could have played that part.

What I'm saying to all of you is this - don't give up on your dreams. You have the tools to change your life right at your fingertips. That keyboard on your laptop or desktop and that creative mind of yours can propel you to new heights and success beyond your wildest dreams. And hopefully all of us can say one day, "Yo Adrian I did it!"

Your Friend,

Robert William Wark