is not a cunt?

It’s been a while, but I am here to inject a dose of positive energy to the IAC fellowship.

So, with the indulgence of the moderators, I would like to nominate someone who I consider to most certainly NOT be a cunt, the main man, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Following a difficult few months I have recently read the autobiography of this faded icon, and I have to admit to having being thoroughly inspired by the story of his life and the lessons it offers in the extraordinary capacity for achievement in our deeply flawed species.

This is a man who was born in to depressed post war Austria in a house with no electricity, no toilet, no running water. He is now worth $1.2 billion and has a legacy of limitless determination and endless achievement behind this.

As a child he looked around him and thought I don’t like this, so how can I change my life. When visiting the large town near where he grew up he would go to the cinema in the 50’s and see images that inspired him to crystallise one goal: America. He proceeded to devote his life to removing himself from the dire misery of post war Germania, his ambition to become a Hollywood movie star. He found the means through bodybuilding, to which he devoted himself day and night, but did the necessary graft along the way – working in factories, on building sites, serving in the army.

When he got to America he slept on couches, worked as a labourer, laid bricks. Whatever he needed to do to survive, whilst at the same time spending every spare moment in the gym, crafting himself to be better than anyone else in the bodybuilding world, and pursuing every avenue to get himself noticed. But all the time he remained cheerful and determined. He worked, worked, worked, and was constantly impelled by the idea that he was always achieving and moving forward. And the rewards came. His single-minded, unfaltering determination, led to him winning the bodybuilding titles, landing the film roles, having the capital to build up a property empire, having the commercial nouse to commercialise concepts borne out of his celebrity status such as Planet Hollywood, as well as giving him the opportunity to experience the reward of giving something back in the form of his pioneering programs to get America fit and encourage deprived kids to take control of their lives through inner-city youth development programs.

The rest as they say is history. Governor of California, ongoing movie career, one of America’s all-time “dream” legends.

I’ve never met the guy, never will. But when you read his life story you can easily conclude two things:
1. He was always aware he had one shot at life.
2. He was buggered if he was going to waste a single second of his time here feeling sorry for himself, blaming other people for shit, doing nothing because life’s unfair; he was just gonna do what was in his power to make it happen.

Take note young and old. This man is a dying breed and should be treasured while he’s still with us.

four minute books

Nominated by Balsamic Dave.