The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

This one was suggested by my loving wife. Here is her comment:

One of my favorite books of all time is The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. I actually read it pretty recently and was so inspired. I think it's a book that I'm going to read once a year from now on. The boy in the book is a stable boy aspiring to be a salesman. He is motivated by a girl he meets that he would like to marry. But he won't be able to seek her hand as a lowly stable boy. He talks to a successful salesman who gives him a task to try out his skills as a salesman. He is so motivated by his longing for the girl he is sure he'll accomplish the task in no time. But things work out differently. I don't want to spoil the rest, but I believe everyone should read it! It's an amazing book about reaching your potential and it can also help us better our everyday lives.

This book is amazing and gives some amazing points that can make a difference in anyone's life.

The Music Man

This suggestion came from my mom and I totally agree. Here's what she said:

Even the older movies had situations of bettering yourself. Take “Music Man” for instance. Professor Hill was a sly, cunning salesman of band instruments and promised great things to the kids that played them. He then would skip town with the money and did nothing with the band that had formed. When professor Hill was on the verge of being lynched by an angry town that had been alerted that this is what he planned, a certain librarian encouraged him to reach his potential, encouraged him to actually have the kids play and he went on to have a pretty good band. Sometimes others have to see what we miss seeing in ourselves. Then it is up to us to stretch…..

I love the music man. No one thought that the kids could do it. One person with a different attitude can change a lot. Thanks Mom!!

The Pursuit of Happyness

This movie was suggested by Brandon and is a great addition to the list. The movie tells the story of a man and his son and their fight to make a better life for themselves. The trials that they go through on the way to their triumph illustrate another point I hope to make by this list...attaining your dreams is not easy and takes an immense amount of work. The movie shows that it is possible through perseverance and keeping your dream always in front of you.

Gattaca and Finding Neverland

The first two movies that I am putting on the list are the two that share the number on spot on my favorites list. Gattaca is an amazing show that outlines the life of a boy who is told that he will never amount to anything due to genetic defects. His determination allows him to do amazing things with his life.
Finding Neverland is one of Johnny Depp's finest. He plays JM Barrie, the playwright who brought us Peter Pan, and tells the story of his time with the Davies family that led to his writing of the play. His relationship with Peter Llewelyn Davies is inspiring as he helps him to find himself through writing.

What is the project?

I firmly believe that we as humans are capable of so much more than we actually produce. One of the reasons for our not reaching our potential is that society spreads the lie that it is not possible to reach our dreams. My life's desire is to eradicate this lie and help everyone see that their goals can be attained.
The goal of this project is to discuss literature, movies and music that show people reaching their potential by proving society wrong. I hope that many will contribute and share the things that have inspired them to go after their dreams.
I hope to assemble a list of pieces that I want to use for a more extensive project later. Please be open and share freely. Thank you all.