The Road to Perseverance
Maia Ninan
Sylvester Stallone
Now we know Sylvester Stallone as the star of the Rocky movies, a director, a screenwriter, and a producer but before he was famous Sylvester Stallone struggled to make ends meet. Throughout his life Sylvester Stallone knew he wanted to be in the movie business. Sylvester was definitely not prepared for all the rejection he experienced. Through it all he was determined. He was thrown out of more than 1500 agents offices but that never stopped him. He was also ambitious. He had the drive and the motive to fight for his fame. After writing Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was turned down multiple times. He was incredibly patient and knew that the time would come when someone would respect his artistic ideas. Soon enough, Sylvester met some guys who loved the script and would let him play the part of Rocky Balboa (after much persuasion). The movie was a hit and grossed over 200 million dollars. In the words of Anthony Robbins, “There is always a way if you’re committed. You just have to keep changing your approach.”
Tom Monaghan
Tom Monaghan and his brother Jim opened a pizza place near Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This pizza parlor was the birthplace for an incredible idea that would take years. Throughout Tom’s journey as a businessman and pizza maker, he faced many setbacks and many exciting experiences. First, Tom got a new partner because his brother had another job. Eventually this partnership broke off. Then, his ex-partner declared bankruptcy and Tom was responsible for over $75,000 in debt. Eventually, Tom was slowly gaining his business back but then a devastating fire and wiped out the store. After the fire Tom went back to making pizza and soon opened up the first Domino’s franchise. After a while, Tom was losing money and Domino’s was in trouble. Bankruptcy became a substantial problem in Tom’s life again. Then, Tom lost control of the company and resorted to sleeping in his car to keep the expenses down. Next, a lawsuit was filed against Domino’s and Tom was devastated. Later, Tom was gaining control of the business again and eventually, “Domino’s became the largest home delivery pizza business in the world and Tom became on of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the country with 97 percent of the company’s stock.” “‘Quit’ isn’t in Tom Monaghan’s vocabulary. ‘Persistence’ is.”
Tupac Shakur & the Lady Jags
Tupac Shakur and the ladies from the video called “Losing To Win” are very similar. Tupac grew up in an unsafe environment filled with racism and violence. The girls also grew up in an unsafe environment that contained drugs and violence. Their environments were both dangerous and prevented them from growing as people. Both the lady jags and Tupac were like “the rose that grew from the concrete”. Everybody expected them to fail or to give up because they didn’t think that Tupac or the girls could achieve something so great but they proved people wrong. Tupac went on to because a extremely successful rapper and the lady jags went on to finish their time at Carroll Academy with a smile on their face and support from their peers. Although these people share many similarities, they also are quite different. Tupac used his fame to make it known that violence was a major problem in society. The girls never really advocated against domestic violence and drug abuse but they did put a stop to it in their own lives. After the girls left Carroll Academy their pasts stayed in the past. They became better people and they moved on. On the other hand, Tupac was not proving his point that violence was terrible because he was getting into fights and trouble with the law.
“How People Learn to Become Resilient”
Being resilient is the result of having a strong support system. A strong support system can carry a person and push them to reach their full potential. A person’s beliefs can cause resilience too. Beliefs can help a person stay true to who they are and it can keep them from straying from the right path. Having a positive outlook on life lets a person see that glass as half full. This attitude allows a person to achieve greatness and resilience. Believe it or not, but a surprising death can also help a person become resilient. A death of a family member or a close friend can make a person realize that life is too short to be complacent.
Leroy Sutton and Dartanyon Crockett
Leroy Sutton is a man who lost both of his legs in a train accident. Dartanyon Crockett is a man who is partially blind. Alone, both boys have their own difficulties but together, Leroy and Dartanyon make up the most unstoppable and courageous team. Lisa Fenn was a reporter who was presenting Leroy and Dartanyon’s story on television. Over time Lisa developed an unbreakable bond with Leroy and Dartanyon. After school had ended and Leroy and Dartanyon and had graduated, both had wanted to go to college but they didn’t know how to apply or handle expensenses. Lisa stepped in and provided hope for the boys. She would handle their fees, help them apply to college, and pick up their transcripts. Without Lisa the boys would have struggled with these things or just given up completely. Lisa Fenn has truly been the answer to all their prayers.
Sources
Paragraph 2: “From Rolling Dough to Rolling in Dough”~Tom Monaghan
Paragraph 3: “The Rose That Grew From the Concrete”~ Tupac Shakur & “Losing to Win”~ the Lady Jags
Paragraph 4: “How People Learn to Become Resilient”
Paragraph 5: "Carry On"~ Leroy Sutton and Dartanyon Crockett