Have you ever experienced a feeling of pure amazement when you hear about something unimaginable said or done by another person? A positively enabled sensation arising from within that you feel like you have hit a high note?
Both being influenced and being an influence can go a long way in creating a better self, and a better world for the greater good. To give you a quick and well known example: The Four-Minute Mile. In 1954, Roger Bannister for the first time in the world completed a mile-run in less than 4 minutes. This remained impossible until Roger Bannister made it happen and has since been broken by more than a thousand athletes. It has even become the standard used for middle-distance running. Do you wonder how something that was deemed as unattainable for centuries, becomes an achievable task following the success of one person? That is the power of influence!
Continue reading to find out who my top 5 influencers are in no particular order and why.
DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM
“All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.”
Although having been a renown scientist, a nation’s President and an awardee of numerous prestigious awards, this powerful man chose simplicity as his way of living. In a time where success is measured by money and power, Sir. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam devoted his life for the betterment of mankind. His humbleness combined with good intent has inspired the youth around the world. I started listening to his speeches during a critical point in life when I had to choose my career path. Abdul Kalam made me believe that there is so much to achieve through science and technology, hence influenced me to choose engineering as my profession. His motivating speeches and books are alive beyond his lifetime and I resort to listening to his speeches when I need some mental boost. Check out my favourite speech of Kalam Sir below:
STEVE JOBS
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
The Father of Digital Revolution who shrunk the entire world to a touch has left his whole life as a lesson for us all to learn. While a combo of hard work and passion is a proven formula for success, Steve Jobs utilized a unique marketing style to transform his success in innovation into a victory of business, rebuilding the Apple Empire. The reason for Apple becoming a pioneer in a short period is not in the ‘what’ but rather in the ‘why’. If you’d like to know about this marketing style, watch the below video:
Also, significant turning points in Steve Jobs’ life has made me believe that there is always room for change of plans and change of hearts. When you catch yourself in moments of self-doubt, check out the Steve Jobs biographical film.
OPRAH WINFREY
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”
Having read about Oprah Winfrey’s early life, it definitely felt like she was set up for failure with no trace of greatness hitting multiple rock bottoms. But with each curveball life threw at her, it was also starting to reveal the ambitious, self-driven women she was to become and to inspire many women and men in the years to come. Being an established TV personality shows how successful she has become compared to where she started, however, what influenced me the most is how she uses her stardom and platform to throw limelight on global and social issues which would go unnoticed otherwise. While there are many passionate people in the world inventing and innovating, to make life easier and better, we also need powerful leaders like Oprah Winfrey to show us the value of humanity and compassion. She played a significant role influencing me to start this blog as a way of giving back and sharing my experiences creating a community of empowering others. She is a wealth of experience and knowledge, hence there is a not a single book but an entire book club that I’d like to recommend. Check out her list of books in the below link:
ELON MUSK
“The first step is to establish that something is possible; then probability will occur.”
Until recently I thought of Elon Musk as a crazy rich genius who was investing in innovations beyond the current timeline. Beginning of this year, a friend of mine gifted me a book; Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance and not until I read this book did I realize that Elon Musk is a true visionary. It is challenging enough to be a first at anything but the level of difficulty sky rockets when even the concept of the idea has not been conceived yet. While reading the book, the fact that he is a great businessman with a spot on mind was evident throughout but the parallel plot was that Elon Musk consistently took calculated risks in each of his endeavour and followed his belief that it is possible for one person to change the world. Steve Jobs wanted to put a ding in the universe but Elon Musk has definitely put a few bangs out there! With PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and the other future projects Elon Musk has hit the fast forward on the advancement of technology and mankind. He has become a huge inspiration for me on showing how the time we have can be manipulated to do the things we have always wanted to. If you are interested in the book, check out the link below:
JACK MA
“Instead of learning from other people’s success, learn from their failures.”
Jack Ma inspires me in a way unlike any other. While its a known fact that he is the pillar behind the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, did you know that Jack Ma didn’t own a computer until he was 33 and neither has he written a single line of code for the business? The more I started to learn about his life and business techniques, it became apparent that his focus was in the future. He envisions the future of technology and works towards establishing his business for the time to come. I found his speeches where he shares his business secrets and life experiences as encouragement and motivation for entrepreneurs and startup businesses. He set his life as an example to show anything is possible if we are determined to do it. He has influenced my way of thinking that it is never too late to begin something as long as we truly believe in it and have a strong will to make it a success, eventually. Another trivia about Jack Ma that astounded me: He volunteered as a tourist guide for 9 years just to learn English and understand the Western culture. Check out Jack Ma’s Top 10 Rules for Success video below:
Although the list above is my top 5 influencers, I believe each person we meet and converse with influence, inspire and somehow leave a mark in our lives. It is our responsibility to add to the greatness of the world (and the universe) that has been created by those who preceded us and leave it as an even better place for the future generations to come.
Hope you liked this read and do leave a comment with your top influencer in life!
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