We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
If you haven’t yet heard of Ted Williams, you need to. He has a great story.
At the beginning of this week, Ted Williams was homeless. He was begging on the streets, panhandling at intersections.
Early this week he stood by the side of Interstate 71 in Columbus Ohio holding a sign that said, “I have a God given gift of voice,” asking for help.
A reporter for the Columbus Dispatch saw the sign and chose to video the interaction. He posted the amazing video on YouTube and it instantly went viral, getting over 13 million views in just around 48 hours (an unprecedented explosion of popularity).
Here’s the video:
What happens next is nothing short of motivating, inspirational, and just plain amazing.
He was invited onto several shows, including the Today Show, CBS Morning News, and numerous others. The Today Show flew him to his hometown, New York City, where he was able to meet his mother, whom he hadn’t seen in more than a decade.
Williams tells his story of starting out as a radio announcer, but falling into alcohol and drugs. They took over his life and he lost everything. His family (nine kids—seven daughters and two sons), wife, home, job, everything.
Living in a tent, he finally decided he needed a change. He’d been clean for two years.
In the aftermath of the viral video, thankfully captured and uploaded to YouTube, he’s been offered numerous jobs, including becoming the official voice for Kraft, an announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, and more. Quicken even called him up and gave him a fully-paid mortgage to buy a house or apartment.
Through it all, he’s repeatedly offering up his gratitude in these public interviews.
On the Today show, just a few days after being discovered, he was asked if he had a newfound appreciation for the homeless, to which he replied:
“Please don’t judge a book by its cover. Everybody has their own little story.”
Here are some videos chronicling the inspirational journey.
We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
You’ve likely heard the children’s story about the ugly duckling. What difference does a change in perspective make? Read on to find out how you can relate to his experience.
You are capable of greatness. In fact, it is already within you. You just need to discover it, and then work to bring your life into alignment so that your life's mission and your life become one and the same. That's when you'll shine. That's when you'll experience full joy and fulfillment, when you're actions align to your purpose. We can help.
The night I quit my job I had a decision to make: wait, or just start. I chose to just start and held a seminar the next day. People in motion tend to stay in motion and people at rest tend to stay at rest. So whatever it is you've been waiting to do... just start!
The hardest handicaps to overcome are mental. It happens when we tell ourselves the wrong story. Change the story.
The funny, but insightful story about how we tend to destroy what is most precious to us. A video from an international speech competition.
Life Engineering is dedicated to helping individuals, parents, leaders, and organizations achieve excellence.
We provide the tools and the training, the motivation and the methodology, an entire system designed to help you move beyond where you’ve been, to go farther than you thought you could… to achieve more, to do more, to become more. It’s about more than just short-term success. It’s the disciplined pursuit of excellence.
