Rocky

Rocky Balboa

Story of A Super Duper Star

Sylvestar Stallone is one the most famous American Movie stars.. With characters like Rocky and Rambo he is a household name in the hearts of millions.

During birth, a wrong gynecological procedure caused Stallone to have one sided paralysis. At school, his middle class being and his facial paralysis became a think for others to make fun off.

He joined body-building because he wanted to frighten those who bullied him. Slowly he started thinking of a career in movies.

Around 1974, he had a pregnant wife, a dog that he loved a lot, a lot of bills to pay and no success in his movie career.

What he still had was a belief in his dream that he will make it big. 

Soon a time came when he went broke. He was heavily under debt. 

Restless, anxious, stressed and still loaded with hope that he will make it big.

Things got so bad that he had sell his wife’s jewelry and ended homeless. Sleeping at the New York Bus station for 3 days.

The cold American winter forced him to choose between electricity and his dog. He stood outside a local store and sold his dog for $25.

Two weeks later, on TV he watched a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. That match was like a flash of divine inspiration… For the next 20 hours he sat and wrote the script of what today is a cult movie, ROCKY.

In the words of stallone himself, “After nearly 1500 rejections”, he got a production house to offer $125,000 for the script. 

Despite the poverty, pains, pregnant wife and lost dog… His dream was to STAR in the movie as the MAIN LEAD.

In an era when hero’s were common man and spoke fluently, a body builder with a facial paralysis that made him stammer while speaking.. Made Stallone the wrong choice for any role.

The studio Bluntly rejected his offer… And Stallone went back home with another failure. 

A few weeks later,the studio offered him $250,000 for the just the script, and not him.

He refused.

Soon they offered $350,000 for the script but not him.

At that time everyone was pushing him to accept.. It would be MAD not to do so.. He was making a fortune. 

He still refused. 

Someone in the studio really loved his script, and as fortune favors the brave.. They finally accepted to $35,000 for the script and him as the lead star.

The rest as they say is history!

The movie was made for $1 million and went to make around $200 million.

It won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

Stallone was a “bankable” hero for the next 20yrs, till the late 90′s… with his movies having made billions of dollars.

And what did he do with the first $35,000?

He stood outside the liquor store were he sold his dog for 3 days. Identified the man who had bought it, and finally got him back for $15,000.

AND IN THE WORDS OF ROCKY BALBOA – 

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Happiness

This story is about a beautiful, expensively dressed lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt that her whole life was empty, it had no meaning.

So, the lady went to visit a counselor to seek out happiness.

The counselor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors.

The counselor then said to the rich lady "I'm going to ask Mary here to tell u how she found happiness. All I want u to do is listen to her."

So the old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story:

"Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car.

I had nobody... I had nothing left. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life.

Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work, Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided

to let the kitten in. I got it some milk, and the kitten licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and, for the first time in months,I smiled.

Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy.

So the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbor who was sick in bed.

Every day I tried to do something nice for someone.

It made me so happy to see them happy.

Today, I don't know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do.

I've found happiness, by giving it to others."

When she heard that the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy.

"The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are; but on how happy others can be because of you..."

Happiness is not a destination, it's a journey.

Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now.

Happiness is not a dependency, it is a decision.

Happiness is what you are, not what you have!

Learn to Value

I had known a friend of mine who used to say that he misplaces and loses his pen very often.

He will use only very cheap pens so that he need not worry about losing them. He was worried about carelessness habit.                                                                                                              

I suggested to him to buy the costliest pen he could afford and see what happens. He did that and purchased a 22 carat gold plated pen. After nearly six months I met him and asked him if he continues to misplace his pen. He said that he is very careful about his costly pen and he is surprised how he has changed!               

I explained to him that the value of the pen made the difference and there was nothing wrong with him as a person! This is what happens in our life. We are careful with things which we value most.                                             

* If we value our health, we will be careful about what and how we eat;    

* if we value our friends, we will treat them with respect;                                   

* if we value money, we will be careful while spending;                                 

* if we value our time, we will not waste it.

Carefulness is a basic trait all of us have,

we know when to be careful! Carelessness only shows what we don't value......

Respect

John worked at a meat distribution factory. One day, when he finished with his work schedule, he went into the meat cold room (Freezer) to inspect something but in a moment of bad luck, the door closed and he was locked inside with no help in sight. Although he screamed and knocked with all his might, his cries went unheard as no one could hear him. Most of the workers had already gone and outside the cold room (freezer), it's impossible to hear what was going on inside. Five hours later, whilst John was on the verge of death, the security guard of the factory eventually opened the door and saved him. John then asked the security guard what he came to do there as it wasn't part of his work routine.

 His replies: "I've been working in this factory for 35 years. Hundreds of workers come in and out every day but you're one of the few who greets me in the morning and says goodbye to me every night when leaving after working hours. Many treat me as if I am invisible. So today like every other day, you greeted me in your simple manner "Hello" at the entrance when resuming for work, But curiously after working hours today, I observed I've not heard your "Good bye see you tomorrow". Hence I decided to check around the factory. 

I look forward to your greetings every day because to you, I am someone. By not hearing your farewell, I knew something had happened. Then I Sought and found you!

Moral Lesson:

 Be humble, love and respect those around you because life is too short. Try to have an impact on people in ways we can't even imagine especially the people that cross our path daily. Stay blessed!

Walking

Best Exercise.... is Walking....

A lot of 'walking away' will do your life good. 

'Walk away' from arguments that lead you to anger and nowhere. 

'Walk away' from people who deliberately put you down. 

'Walk away' from any thought that reduces your worth. 

'Walk away' from the failures and fears that stifle your dreams. 

The more you 'walk away' from things that poison your soul, the happier your life will be.

Practice 'Walking' towards Happiness....