Living in a free, capitalistic society is awesome! There are few other places in the world where opportunity abounds in the way it does here in the United States. A person can start with absolutely nothing and end up a millionaire or billionaire. It happens again and again. If you apply yourself and work hard anything is possible. It has always been that way here and it hasn’t changed.
Oprah Winfrey is a perfect example. Whether you like her or not, there is no denying the inspiration in her rags-to-riches story. She had absolutely nothing going for her in her childhood. She was born to an unwed mother in rural Mississippi. Her family was dirt poor with no prospects for improvement. She was raped on at least two different occasions before she was 16 and even lost a baby shortly after birth during her teenage years. I would usually consider such a situation hopeless. I would expect such a person to grow up dependent on the system, but not Winfrey. Despite the lack of resources, sexual and emotional abuse, she landed a job in radio while still in high school. Today, she is a billionaire and considered one of the most influential women in the world. If Oprah endorses you or your product, enormous success seems just around the corner. She arose from being powerless to one of the greatest success stories of the 20th Century.
Two other examples are Charlie Woo founder of Toytown in L.A. and John Tu co-founder of Kingston Technology. Both of these guys are immigrants that came to the U.S. and made it big. Woo came here in the late 60s as a student. While working on his Ph.D., he bought his first building in a then dead area East of downtown Los Angeles where real estate was selling for $2.75 per square foot. Today, Toytown is a bustling commercial district where Woo and his family own 10 buildings and their distribution business generates over $30 million per year in sales! John Tu came to the United States in the late 60s from China via Germany. Within three years of coming to this country, Tu was new to Arizona, broke, without a job, and separated from his wife. However, this did not stop him. Tu started a gift shop in Scottsdale. He also found success buying and developing commercial real estate. In the late 80s, John took a risk and co-founded Kingston Technology to sell computer memory chips. Today, John Tu is listed as #165 on Forbes 400 with a net worth of $2.5 billion!
These people each overcame incredible odds to get to where they are today. They had numerous things working against them. When they started, they drew little to no attention. However, with hard work and perseverance they have succeeded. They decided not to let their setbacks and upbringing hold them back. They chose to believe that they could be successful. Each of them took action in their own way towards their dreams.
These stories inspire and motivate me. I don’t have nearly so many obstacles working against me so I should be able to achieve my dreams as well. Where else in the world is this possible except in the United States? Our system gives anyone with the right attitude and the willingness to work hard the opportunity to become incredibly successful. It allows us to define success for ourselves. The freedom we enjoy also allows us to choose how and where we apply our talents. There is really nothing holding us back except our own beliefs, our own thoughts. Do not let your fear and self-doubt hold you back any longer! Take advantage of our free, capitalistic society and go make yourself a fortune! God bless America!
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This is a great reminder that we should not take for granted the system we live in today. I don’t want to get political, but people need to really take a close look at the candidates this November and weed out those who are a threat to capitalism and those who support it. Those who are against it will continue to punish those who are successful in our country, and that’s true across party lines!
Great post! I think Oprah is an especially inspiring story, considering two key factors:
1. She’s a woman.
2. She’s a woman of color
… and like you had said.. like her or don’t like her.. she definitely has a LOT of power and has achieved massive success.
Wow, Jeff. This is one more great post.
We need more people who think like you do.
@FrugalDad – I couldn’t agree more. America is great because the people get involved and keep it that way. I definitely encourage everyone to vote and participate in our government.
@Terra – Given the time and location where Oprah grew up, these were definitely tough obstacles to overcome. I agree that her story is inspiring to everyone.
@Ron – Thanks for the encouragement! I hope my posts provoke people to think and consider their actions.