Success story: Stephenie Meyer – author of the Twilight vampire romance book series

September 10, 2009

Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer

Look at the Wikipedia page for Stephenie Meyer and you will see the story of a former “average person” who went on to make millions as an author. Despite having an English degree she only ever worked as a receptionist after her graduation in 1995, until she started writing Twilight in 2003.

By the end of that year Meyer had signed a $750,000 three-book deal with Little, Brown and Company, according to that Wikipedia page. The first in the series of books, Twilight, was published in 2005 and was a hit. Other novels followed in subsequent years.

Twilight, the first movie adaptation of the series was released late last year and became a huge worldwide hit. Another, New Moon is due out in November and the third, Eclipse, is now filming. In addition to this, a new clothing line was recently launched to promote The Host, another book from last year.

There is a line of The Host t-shirts and skateboards available to order online. The line offers three designs and they all have the name The Host on them. The book is Meyer’s only adult novel and has been on the best seller list for weeks.

She has come a long way in the last 13 or so years and is listed on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list of the world’s most powerful celebrities in 2009, entering at #26 with annual earnings exceeding $50 million. It is a great success story.

Link:

StephenieMeyer.com – official site

Written by SuccessMotivational.com · Filed Under Celebrity success, Literature 

Success story: Female astronaut Megan McArthur on final Hubble service mission

August 29, 2009

Megan McArthur

This is a brief story of Megan McArthur’s journey to space this year.

Born in 1971 and graduating with a B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles, 1993 and Ph.D., Oceanography, University of California-San Diego, 2002, it was a chance meeting in college with astronaut Kathryn Sullivan – the first US woman to do a space walk – that helped Megan McArthur decide exactly what she would do for a career.

Fast forward to May this year and Megan McArthur was in space helping to service the Hubble telescope, which was launched by Kathryn Sullivan.

After a career in science as an oceanographer, Megan McArthur joined NASA nine years ago. She started training in 2007 for 1½ years specifically for her first space mission. Its purpose was to service the 19-year-old Hubble telescope for a fifth and final time. She spent 12 days and 21 hours in space in May, performing the roles of flight engineer and mission specialist where she operated the robotic arm that secured the telescope for servicing.

She is one of 20 active women on NASA’s roster, along with 60 men. Her aim next is to go to the International Space Station. For now, though, she promotes science among her other work with NASA. She has been to Australia this month to promote National Science Week.

Sources:

WA today (Australia)

NASA Mega McArthur Bio

Written by SuccessMotivational.com · Filed Under Career, Celebrity success, Science 

Self-help book: The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz – a brief introduction

August 26, 2009

The Magic Of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

The Magic Of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

The Magic Of Thinking Big was first published in 1965. A version was published in 1987 by Simon & Schuster, Inc (the version pictured). It contains real-life case studies to illustrate a point. Some people that read this book may find some of these examples hard to believe but they illustrate the point nevertheless.

Dr Schwartz defines a proven approach for getting the most out of your job, relationships and life in general. The reader can learn about turning defeat into victory, building favorable work and personal relationships and thinking like a leader. It is really all about getting rid of negativity and instead believing in success, overcoming fear, building confidence, becoming more creative and more.

It has 13 chapters:

  • Believe you can succeed and you will
  • Cure yourself of Excusitis, The Failure Disease
  • Build confidence and destroy fear
  • How to think big
  • How to think and dream creatively
  • You are what you think you are
  • Manage your environment: Go first class
  • Make your attitudes your allies
  • Think right toward people
  • Get the action habit
  • How to turn defeat into victory
  • Use goals to help you grow
  • How to think like a leader

Dr Schwartz closes the book with the following quote:

“A wise man is the master of his own mind. A fool is a slave to his.” – Publilius Syrus

You can read an introduction for some chapters at Google Books or reviews at Amazon and similar places.

Your opinion?

Have you read this book? Would you like to express an opinion in the forum or write a review? The link to the forum board for this is the Success/self help book opinions.

Written by SuccessMotivational.com · Filed Under Self help book guide 

Self-help book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – a brief introduction

August 20, 2009

Think and Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich

This book is a classic best-seller that has been reprinted over and over again. It was written in 1937 and Napoleon Hill gives 13 success principles used by the great success stories of the early 20th-century. He interviewed Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and 500 others.

One of the most recent versions of this book is called Think and Grow Rich, The landmark bestseller – now revised and updated for the 21st Century by Napoleon Hill with Arthur R Pell. Here is a quote from the chapter about desire:

“Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money or anything you wish to desire. It needs to be done in fair exchange.

Also write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, describe clearly the plan through which you intend to acquire it.”

In the updated version, Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D., a consultant in human resources management interweaves anecdotes of how contemporary millionaires and billionaires, like Bill Gates, achieved their wealth.

There are 15 chapters in this book:

  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Desire
  • Chapter 3: Faith
  • Chapter 4: Auto Suggestion
  • Chapter 5: Specialized Knowledge
  • Chapter 6: Imagination
  • Chapter 7: Organized Planning
  • Chapter 8: Decision
  • Chapter 9: Persistence
  • Chapter 10: Power of the Master Mind
  • Chapter 11: The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
  • Chapter 12: The Subconscious Mind
  • Chapter 13: The Brain
  • Chapter 14: The Sixth Sense
  • Chapter 15: How to Unwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

You can read an introduction for some chapters at Google Books or reviews at Amazon and similar places.

Your opinion?

Have you read this book? Would you like to express an opinion in the forum or write a review? The link to the forum board for this is the Success/self help book opinions.

Written by SuccessMotivational.com · Filed Under Site articles 

Success story: Lance Armstrong fought cancer and went on to win the Tour de France 7 times

August 18, 2009

Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong was a successful professional cyclist in the 1990s. He had won The World Cycling Championship and the US National Road Race Championship. Then disaster struck in October 1996. He was told by his doctor that he had testicular cancer that had spread to his abdomen, lungs, and brain.

He was given a 50 percent chance of survival and had surgery to remove his right testicle and brain lesions, followed by three months of chemotherapy. Armstrong was declared cancer-free in 1997. He then began his cycling comeback in May 1998.

Lance competed in the Tour de France 1999 and won it for 7 years straight after that before retiring temporarily from cycling. He had already started The Lance Armstrong Foundation and the LiveStrong awareness campaign started to take off in different countries much more during his “retirement”.

He came out of retirement this year and has successfully competed in races in several countries. It has sparked an interest among amateur cyclists who are becoming racers now. It is one of the great inspirational stories of a champion in his sport and personal life.

Link:

LiveStrong

Sources:

Cancer.org
Bestinspirationalquotes4u.com

Written by SuccessMotivational.com · Filed Under Career, Celebrity success, Health 

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