Ali Baba And Other Inspiring Stories That Sound Like Fairytales

"When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you."

- Jiminy Cricket from the movie Pinocchio

"...and they lived happily ever after." As a kid, it seemed like every story I read had a happy ending. In the end, the prince and the princess find each other and they lived happily ever after. It seemed like every story had the same ending.

You can say that we love the fairy tales because it helps us get away from reality and some of the struggles we might be going through. Even stories I would read in school about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln seemed like a fantasy. Martin Luther King Jr. sounded like a hero I could never be. However, as time flew by, new stories seemed to emerge with new characters and the stories seemed a bit more real.

Ali Baba
For a few weeks now, the company Ali Baba has created a huge buzz with its claim for the largest global IPO ever. The story though started many years ago with its founder, Jack Ma, who is now the richest man in China. According to Jack's testimony, before he created Ali Baba, he invited 24 friends to his house to discuss this "idea" he had about a business opportunity. Out of those 24 friends, 23 of them told Jack Ma how terrible his idea was and that it would never work. Later, even his family opposed the idea. Only one person encouraged Jack Ma to try it anyway. The rest, as we know it, is current history.

The Guy Who Only Works 4 Hours A Week And Does Everything He Wants
I must admit, I am a huge Tim Ferris fan. His book, The 4-Hour Workweek was one of the few book I actually read twice. Many people reading this blog have probably never heard of Tim Ferris and probably because he just sounds like a regular guy and he's not super famous and making tabloids. However, his story is fascinating. Tim Ferris went through the motions just like us, working ridiculous hours, trying to make money and do something with his life. With his outside-the-box thinking, Tim got to the point where he was able to travel around the world for months (not just on a one week vacation), learn how to tango in Argentina, compete in a world competition for mix martial arts and do all of this by only working a few hours a week. 

The Maverick
Mark Cuban is now known for many things, but mostly for winning an NBA championship as the Dallas Maverick's owner, but also for starring in the hit show Shark Tank. What most people don't know is that Mark's story before his fame. For many years, Mark lived with his buddies in an apartment where he had to sleep on the floor every night and lived off of sandwiches while he was trying to find success. His perseverance and hard work eventually paid off, but many of us just see the Mark on TV. There is more to this man than meets the eye.

I can go on with true stories that will drive inspiration but there is one common theme among all stories today. Each person decided what their ending would look like. Each one of these men fought hard and eventually found their "happily ever after." Even when the odds were stacked against these men and there was no support, they still kept going because they believe they can write the following chapters of their lives.

How are you focusing on your happy ending? Is your drive strong enough to make your own success or are you letting circumstances drag you down?

Don't forget to share this blog so you can encourage others: family, co-workers, friends. Give them something to get motivated! You never know what they might be going through. A few words of encouragement can go a long way.