Les Calvin Brown, the celebrated motivational speaker and former member of the House of Representatives, was born on February 17, 1945, in a dilapidated factory in the poor neighborhood of Liberty City in Miami, Florida.

Les’s mother, who was married to a serviceman stationed abroad, had an affair with another man, subsequently becoming pregnant with Les and his twin brother.

Three weeks later, after giving birth, she gave them up for adoption. Both Les and his twin brother were adopted by a lady named Mamie Brown, 38 who was single and worked as a cook. Les has been quoted as saying, ” Everything I am and everything I have I owe to my mother, her tenacity and personality are my biggest motivation, always have been and always will be.”

Brown’s adopted mother, Mamie, had exceptional confidence in him, believing that Les was bound for greatness. However, his teachers did not share this sentiment. They found Les to be restless and quite the little prankster. Brown, they said, was a mediocre student because he could not focus, especially while reading.

In the fifth grade, Les was identified as being “educable mentally retarded.” As he later recalled in his book. Being labeled like this was hard for a young boy to shake. And he didn’t try, he just succumbed to the label they had given him.

Lucky for Les, a teacher intervened. LeRoy Washington, a language and acting professor at Booker T. Washington High School where Les went to school, encouraged Les to chase his dreams with a relentless desire and belief. LeRoy taught Les the invaluable lesson that “there arrives a moment when you have to cut your burdens to strive for yourself and your aspirations.”

In school, Les would dream about being in the spotlight and addressing thousands and thousands of people. He would actually write in a notebook how he was ” the world’s most renowned speaker.” However, it was not until Les met LeRoy that he genuinely understood what it meant to be a great motivational speaker.

An inspiring story from Les Brown’s early days with LeRoy was when Les told his teacher that he was unable to complete the assignment as he was educable mentally retarded.⁽²⁾  LeRoy responded by saying, “do not ever say that about yourself again.”

That single statement gave Les the freedom to finally break free from the label that had haunted him since fifth grade.

“The limitations you have, and the negative things that you internalize are given to you by the world,” he wrote of his realization. “The things that empower you-the possibilities-come from within.”

After completing high school, Brown was employed as a sanitation worker for the city. However, Brown’s burning desire to become a D.J. inspired him to seek a job in radio. Les did odd jobs around a local radio station and continued to nag the owner to give him a try on air. He was always met with a “no”.

That is, until one day the D.J. on duty got drunk on-air and had to be removed from his shift. There was no one else around to finish the show, Les finally got his big break. He threw all his enthusiasm into that shift and the radio station owner was incredibly impressed by Brown’s talent, enthusiasm, and how he saved the day, consequently hired him as a full-time D.J.

In 1977 Les ran for political office and surprised everyone by prevailing in the race for the Ohio State Legislatures’ 29th House District Seat. In Brown’s inaugural year, he passed more law than any other rookie congressman previous. By his third year as Congressman, Les served on the Human Resources Committee as Chairperson. However, in 1981, Les stepped down from his position to take care of his mother, who had become ill.

A chance meeting with the motivational tycoon and multi-millionaire, Zig Ziglar inspired Les to become a motivational speaker. At the time, Ziglar made $10,000 an hour to speak to large conferences and company retreats.

Brown began by reading books on motivational speaking. Within only four years of starting, Les had earned the prestigious Council of Peers Award of Excellence, the National Speakers Association’s most distinguished honor. He was the first African American to be awarded the prize.

“You don’t have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great.” personifies Les Brown. Using his perseverance, tenacity, and confidence in his capability, Les shows us what’s possible by taking that first step. As we all know, the first step is the hardest to take, but when taken, it leads to bigger and bigger steps that can ultimately lead to greatness.

Life continually throws curve balls at us, and it’s the way we respond by taking that first step that separates the good from the great.

Today Les Brown is still as committed as ever and coaches today’s younger generation in the art of motivational and public speaking.

Other Quotes From Les Brown

• “Do what is easy and your life will be hard. Do what is hard and your life will be easy.”

• “When your why is big enough you will find your how.”

• “You gotta be hungry!”

• “The greatest revenge is massive success.”

• “You are the only real obstacle in your path to fulfilling it.”

• “No matter how bad it is or how bad it gets I am going to make it.”

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One of the most well-known and preeminent activists of the last 100 years, Helen Adams Keller, was not only a prolific novelist, but she was also a teacher, political activist, and advocated heavily for disability rights.

Helen was born June 27, 1880, in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, and after an illness while she was a baby, she lost her eyesight and hearing. From that point on until the age of 7, Helen developed her own unique signs that allowed her to interact with her family members.

Shortly after, Helen met her life-long friend and mentor, Anne Sullivan. Anne was the first person to teach Hellen to read, write, and speak. Anne’s first lessons with Helen taught her to spell out words on her hands to identify objects around her. Using the Tadoma Method, Hellen also learned to speak and how to effectively listen to others.

Helen Keller was the first deafblind person in history to earn a B.A. after attending both expert and mainstream institutions such as Radcliffe College and the distinguished Harvard University.

From 1924 to 1968, Helen worked tirelessly for the American Foundation for the Blind. In a time when travel was not easily accessible, she traveled to over 39 countries, promoting and advocating for people who had suffered from vision and hearing loss.

One of the first words Anne taught Helen was “doll.”  Anne brought the doll for Helen as a present at their first meeting. In later years Helen recalled the first day they met as the day she met her soulmate. In the beginning, Helen became discouraged with the slow rate at which she was learning; what Helen didn’t understand at the time was, each and everything around her had a specific word for it that she needed to know.

Helen’s inspirational quote, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much,” is a truism that almost every person would recognize as being genuine. Helen discovered the critical lesson that as individuals, we could change small things around us, but to change the world, we must put our differences aside and come together to achieve a common goal.

An amusing story is when Anne was teaching Helen how to spell “mug,”  the story goes that Helen grew so frustrated that she ended up breaking the mug.

In later years, Helen recounted how at the time, she had no idea that words and spelling even existed; In her own words, Hellen says, “I was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation.”

In Helen’s seminal autobiography, The Story Of My Life, she recounted an emotional story,

“I stood still, my whole consciousness fixed upon the movements of her fingers. Swiftly I felt a hazy cognizance of something forgotten — a thrill of returning thought; somehow, the secret of expression was revealed. I grasped then that “w-a-t-e-r” expressed the extraordinary cool feeling; something was flowing over my hand. The living breathing word aroused my heart, gave it light, hope, and set it free!”

The public perception of Helen Keller was that she was private and, to a certain degree, isolated; however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. With the help of friends and family, in particular, Anne Sullivan, Helen experienced music through feeling the beat, through touch, she had a deep relationship with animals, and although she didn’t learn language until quite late, Helen’s name and legacy still live on.

Helen never married, although when she was 36, she fell in love with Peter Fagan, a newspaper journalist working as Helen’s personal assistant. It’s difficult for us to understand, but in Helen’s day, women who were disabled were discouraged from falling in love and getting married. Helen has been quoted as saying, “If I could see, I would marry first of all.”

Helen Adams Keller, who worked her entire life fiercely advocating for those less fortunate, passed away in her sleep on June 1, 1968, in her Connecticut homestead. A ceremony was held in Washington at the National Cathedral. Her ashes were set there alongside her lifelong friends Anne Sullivan and Polly Thompson.  

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Other Memorable Quotes From Helen Keller

• “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.”

• “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

• “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.”

• “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

• “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

• “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

• “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

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Born on October 26, 1883, Oliver Napoleon Hill is best remembered for his trailblazing works in the areas of self-help. Hill’s book, Think And Grow Rich, is still one of the top ten highest selling self-help books of all time. Many of Hill’s books insisted that it was imperative to have great expectations for oneself to achieve life success. 

Napoleon was born in Pound, a quaint little town, located near the Appalachians in South West Virginia. His father, James Hill, and his mother, Sarah, were the descendants of his grandfather, who emigrated to America from England around 1847.

Tragically Napoleon’s mother passed away when he was aged nine. Hill’s father remarried less than two years later. It’s said that his stepmother pulled the “wild-child” Hill into line. Her first husband, who had died years earlier, was a school principal. It is thought his stepmother provided discipline, teaching the young Napoleon the importance of attending school and church.

Napoleon Hill attended Tazewell, Virginia, to study business after graduating high school at 17. The prominent coal magnate and former Attorney General of Virginia, Rufus Ayers, hired the young Hill in 1901. Shortly after that, Hill quit the job and enrolled in Law school. That choice did not last long, and Hill was forced to stop his legal studies due to insufficient funds.

Hill’s famous quote, “If you don’t believe it yourself, don’t ask anyone else to do so,” is a valuable life lesson. Whether they be business people, athletes, or entrepreneurs, the most successful people practice this fundamental philosophy. When reading this quote, many may also think of the phrase “lead by example.” 

If you’re striving to build a successful business or even try to lead by example in a relationship, it’s paramount to show others that you believe in what you are doing; the only way to do that is by taking action yourself.

The Law of Success, which was Napoleon’s first significant work, was published in 1928 after moving to Philadelphia. After meeting with a prominent publisher, the book, which comprised eight-volumes, was a successful hit. As a result of the financial success from this book, one of Hill’s first extravagant purchases was a Rolls-Royce.

In 1930, Hill published his next book, The Magic Ladder to Success. The book turned out to be a major failure. In the years following, Hill toured the nation, reverting to his habits from previous years, setting up numerous business ventures, most of which were short-lived.

In Hill’s most influential and long-lasting book, Think And Grow Rich, he identified his philosophy for becoming wealthy.

“If you crave wealth so intensely that your hunger is an obsession, you will have no trouble in persuading yourself that you will obtain it. The purpose is to “want” money and be so strong-minded to have it that you assure yourself you’ll have it… You may as well know, right here, that you can never have riches in significant amounts except if you work yourself into a white heat of desire for money and honestly believe you will own it.”

However, Hill, viewed by his peers as an enigma, juxtaposed this thought by claiming in earlier works that ” Only by working harmoniously in cooperation with others, therefore, generating merit and benefit for them will one build sustainable accomplishment.”

In Hill’s 1967 book Grow Rich With Peace Of Mind, he talked candidly about what he calls “visits from spirits.” Hill described them as imaginary companions, unseen watchmen, and alien beings, who safeguarded him and supported a “school of wisdom.” Hill also stated that the “Master” talked directly to him and exposed hidden information.

Napoleon Hill passed away on November 8, 1970, aged 87.

Other Famous Napoleon Hill Quotes

• “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”

• “The starting point of all achievement is desire.”

• “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”

• “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”

• “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”

• “Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.”

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Jane Smiley is a prolific American author born September 26, 1949, who has written numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction. She is widely regarded as one of the most preeminent authors of modern time and is known mostly for her poetic work that focuses on families living in rural surroundings.

In 1992, Jane Smiley won the Pulitzer Prize Award for Fiction for her novel A Thousand Acres. The Pulitzer Prize is a series of annual prizes awarded by Columbia University for outstanding civic service and accomplishment in the areas of journalism, letters, and music. Scholarships are also awarded, and newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer granted bonuses of $500,000.

Jane, who was born in Los Angeles, spent her childhood growing up in a suburb of Missouri called Webster Groves. A remarkably educated and intelligent woman, Jane first graduated from Community School and then went on to graduate from John Burroughs School. In 1971 she earned a B.A. in Literature from Vassar College, then received an M.A. in 1975, and finally, in 1978, Jane earned her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa.

The University of Iowa is more commonly referred to as the Iowa Writers Workshop and is generally recognized as the finest writing program in the United States. The program is the oldest in the country. While studying for her doctorate, Jane lived overseas in Iceland, where she had the opportunity of studying under the Fulbright Scholarship.

Jane Smiley was employed as a Professor of English at Iowa State University from 1981 to 1996, where she taught undergraduate and graduate artistic literature seminars. In 1996 Jane decided to return to California, and in 2015 she took up a teaching position at the University of California.

In 1980, Jane’s first book, Barn Blind, concentrates on the bonds shared between a mother and her children. Her next published work was a mystery novel titled “Duplicate Keys” in 1984. In 1988 she released the emotional saga “The Greenlanders’ ‘ focused on the Gunnarsson’s, a 14th-century family. In 1991 Jane’s most influential and best-known book, “A Thousand Acres,” was published, and in 1997 the book was adapted to film.

The Academy of Arts and Letters selected Jane as a member in 2001. Over the course of many years, Jane has participated in numerous events such as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the National Book Festival, the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, and several others. In 2006 Jane smiley won the P.E.N. USA Lifetime Achievement Award and was subsequently granted the great honor of chairing the critic’s board at the illustrious Man Booker International Award in 2009.

Jane’s latest creation, “Some Luck,” is the first book in a trilogy that focuses on an Iowan family over the course of several generations. The book was released in 2014 by Random House, and the subsequent 2nd and 3rd novels were published in the latter half of 2015.

“In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire.”

This quote rings true in all aspects of life. It’s not necessarily those who are the most highly educated, privileged, or talented that succeed; it’s those who have an unrelenting belief in what they do and strive to achieve their goals with an awe-inspiring passion.

Whether it be writing, business, professional sports, or entrepreneurship, having a deep desire is a prerequisite for success. What Jane is saying is that motivation comes and goes but what never leaves us is our passion.

Different people have different passions, and most of us find our passions at different stages in our careers. For me, it was helping professional athletes reach their dreams. Was it the winning or fame I had a passion for? No.

In later years, I understood that the simple act of “helping people” was the reason why.

Other Jane Smiley Quotes

“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.” ― Jane Smiley, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

“A child who is protected from all controversial ideas is as vulnerable as a child who is protected from every germ. The infection, when it comes- and it will come- may overwhelm the system, be it the immune system or the belief system.” ― Jane Smiley

“But what truly horsey girls discover in the end is that boyfriends, husbands, children, and careers are the substitute-for horses” ― Jane Smiley, A Year at the Races: Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money, and Luck

“Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.” ― Jane Smiley

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Mary Pickford was born on April 8, 1892; she was one of the first female movie producers, making her a pioneer in the Hollywood film industry. Her real name was Gladys Louise Smith. Mary was a Canadian born actress and is probably best known for her co-founding United Artists and Pickford- Fairbanks Studios. Mary was also one of the originators of the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences.

During the silent film period, Mary was known as “America’s Sweetheart” and the “girl with curls.” In a day and age where actresses and actors went by pseudonyms, Mary was one of the first Hollywood stars to be booked under her own name. During the 1910s and ’20s, she was recognized as one of the most famous and sought-after actresses of her time, justifying the nickname “Queen of Movies.”

In 1929 Mary won the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film Coquette, which was Mary’s first role in a non-silent film. In 1976 she earned an Academy Honorary Award for her contributions to cinema. In 1999 the American Film Institute listed her 24th on the most renowned female actresses of classic Hollywood Cinema.

Acting had slowly morphed into a family affair with Mary, her mum, and her two sisters traveling America by railroad, acting in low-grade exhibitions and shows. The pressure and the monotonous acting work took their toll on the family, and after six poverty-stricken years, Mary had resigned to the fact she could no longer continue.

Then out of the blue, in 1907, Mary finally landed a leading role in a play on Broadway. The play happened to be penned by one of the most famous and recognized playwrights of all time, William C. DeMille. William’s brother Cecil also performed in the play. During a meeting with the producer of the play David Belasco, he recommended Gladys change her name. From that point on, she was known as Mary Pickford.

Mary had a turbulent personal life, to say the least, being married no less than three times. Her first marriage was to Irishman Owen Moore, a silent actor; reportedly, she had a miscarriage after becoming pregnant to Moore in 1910. After periods of domestic violence and the continued struggles with Moore’s alcoholism, the pair divorced in 1920, with Mary paying $100,000 as settlement.

Remarkably only a few days later, Mary married Douglas Fairbanks, an American actor known for his swashbuckling roles. The marriage was termed the “marriage of the century,” and the two quickly became known as the King and Queen of Hollywood. After returning from their European honeymoon, the pair were greeted by huge crowds who lined every major railroad station to celebrate them as they passed through.

Mary’s profound and everlasting quote, “The past cannot be changed; The future is yet in your power,” brings up struggles in our own lives that at some point in time we’ve had to deal with and it’s a lesson the most successful people in the world have all learned. 

It’s not easy after an argument with a family member or a bad day at work to bounce back positively. Understanding that you can’t change the past, but you can change the future is paramount to your success. Modifying your mindset to be a positive one and creating daily habits that provide you with success is a strategy everyone could try to apply. 

Using her status, Mary Pickford continued to promote several charities and donated large sums to many causes she held near to her. To many, Mary was viewed as a gentle, kind-hearted fragile woman; this was true; however, over time, she developed into a powerful and astute businesswoman taking charge of her career in what, at the time, was a male-dominated industry.

Mary was an intelligent woman and astonishingly, only three years after starting her movie career, had already become her own producer. It’s reported by her foundation that, “Mary managed every phase of her movies’ production, from booking stars and crew to supervising the writing, the shooting, the editing, to the final release and publicity of every plan.”

On retiring from film, Mary struggled with alcoholism just as her first husband and father had. In March 1928, Mary’s mother passed away after fighting with breast cancer, and both her siblings also died due to alcohol-related causes.

In her later years, she contacted the Canadian Government to have her citizenship reinstated. In her own words, she wanted to “die as a Canadian.” The Canadian Government subsequently approved her request.

Mary Pickford passed away on May 29, 1979, after suffering from a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

More Quotes from Mary Pickford

1. “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down”

2. “Adding sound to movies would be like putting lipstick on the Venus de Milo”

3. “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down”

4. “One of the great penalties those of us who live our lives in full view of the public must pay is the loss of that most cherished birthright of man’s privacy”

5. “It would have been more logical if silent pictures had grown out of the talkies instead of the other way around”

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