If Cinderella was a man and the story took place in our times, Tony Robbins life would fit in the script perfectly.

Born on the 29th of February 1960 (a leap year) in North Hollywood, California, Tony was oldest of his two siblings. His mother Nikki loved him dearly, yet expected only the best behavior of him and he did everything to please her. A year after his parents got divorced, the quiet and shy seven-year-old Tony moved to Azusa, California, where he attended Glendora High School.

His mother later remarried to a former baseball player – Jim Robbins, whose surname Tony took on. His stepfather was the first person, who helped Anthony to build his confidence. He also instilled in Tony a love for baseball.

Anonymous act of kindness and adulthood

“Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.”

When Anthony was 13 his family struggled financially to the point that on Thanksgiving Eve, his parents could not afford to buy their children presents or have a Thanksgiving dinner.

That night someone left a Thanksgiving basket on their doorsteps. To the Robbins’ family it was a little miracle and the whole family enjoyed the celebration. This act of kindness had a profound effect on Anthony and he promised himself that one day he would make enough money and help others as well.

As he grew older, his relationships with his mother became more and more strained. She depended on Tony for cooking, cleaning, making repairs around the house and she was very strict when her expectations were not met.

On Christmas Eve 1977, at the age of 17, Tony decided that he had had enough of his mother’s care and control. He walked out of the house with nothing but the clothes he had on, eager to make it on his own.

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Every time I started learning about another remarkable person, I would get excited, but with the words “he died in his house”, or “her life came to an end” my enthusiasm was clouded by the fact that this person was no longer with us.

This got me thinking, why are 98% of biographies of successful people about people who passed away decades ago?

It almost seems that you have to be dead in order for your merits to be truly recognized.

But what about the many remarkable inspirational writers, spiritual leaders, accomplished scientists and highly successful businessmen of our time, who are facing the same challenges, opportunities and choices as we do every single day?

Would it not be better to learn how they got where they are, while being able to connect with them, to ask them for advice and to find out what they are doing to become even more successful?

I know that I owe many of my achievements to the guidance, support and wisdom of such people as Deepak Chopra, Leo Babauta, Eben Pagan, Randy Pausch, Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Sri Chinmoy, Mirzakarim Norbekov, Steve Jobs, Scott Harrison and you, my readers, because YOU have inspired me to start this blog in the first place.

All that said, I have decided to dedicate a part of “Stories of successful people” category to some of the most inspirational heroes of our time as my way of saying “Thank you” for everything they are doing to help us improve our lives and make this world a happier place.

I am sure that you know people like this too. Who are they and why do you consider them truly successful?

Whose success story do you think would be worth writing about?

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A Boy Destined for Greatness.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on the 25th October, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. Picasso was the firstborn and the only son of Jose Ruiz and Maria Picasso. Even when he was little Picasso’s mother kept telling him that he was destined for glory, “If you are a solder you will be a general. If you are a priest, you will be a Pope”. Instead, at the age of 8 Pablo picked up a pencil and started drawing.

He learnt the basics of art from his father, who was a painter and a professor of art at the School of Crafts in Malaga. Picasso’s gift, determination and expressive means, quickly allowed him to surpass his father’s abilities, and he even held his first exhibition at the age of 13!

Early Successes and Father’s Shattered Dreams.

Many people associate Picasso’s painting to the abstract art that a five year old can do, but few are actually aware that Picasso started his painting career drawing realistic oil portraits that mesmerize spectators with their intensity and magnetism.

When in 1895 Picasso’s father got a job at La Llotja art academy as professor of drawing, the whole family moved to Barcelona. Picasso was accepted at the academy for the advanced class, where he was the shortest, the youngest and the most talented of his class.

The family hoped that their son would achieve success as an academic painter, and in 1897 he was sent to study in the Academy of Arts in Madrid. But to the great disappointment of his dad, Picasso dropped out within a year of joining it.

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