Hi everyone!
The point of this post is not to write some BS or show off, but to share with you my story and why I’m passionate about helping people (young ones especially) to achieve their ambitious dreams through the art and science of success. Just as I do with my own, sometimes crazy, dreams.
I come from a village in Romania, born last in a family of 5 kids. Due to some unfortunate circumstances I have lost my mother at the age of 3. Our father tried his best to raise us, but because of his environment and his struggle with alcohol this hasn’t turned out that good. Plus, the single income my father had was never enough for the 6 of us. So we all had a rough start in life (especially financially, emotionally and mentally) – and all left our native house in search of something better.
When I was still a student in high-school, I attended a presentation about “Studying abroad“. I was so fascinated by what I heard, I imagined the possibilities, the secure job that would come with that – this clicked with me instantly. And it continued to grow within me – until it became a restless dream.
But I was a poor student at the time – me and my best friend were juggling between the ‘last’ and ‘one-before-the-last’ positions. But I knew this had to change dramatically if I want to achieve my ambitious dream. So I started learning for school, but most importantly, I started reading all kind of books that I could get my hands on. I read just one book in my life by that time, but then I started this tradition in my class and a lot of classmates started to read books at school. Fiction, philosophy, psychology, sociology, science, etc. I was hungry for knowledge and I never new it until I started. By the time I finished high-school I joined NGOs, became a respectable young man and even became the second best in my class.
I have improved by leaps and bounds – everyone was amazed by my transformation, including myself.
At the same time, I discovered a psychologist that had great content online and stressed how important personal development is. I didn’t even know there is such a thing – but since I discovered this ‘world’ my life has improved constantly and dramatically. The applicability of the information made it easier to target specific areas in my life that need improvement and fix my problems: relationships, emotional intelligence, confidence, discipline, sex, and even starting to make money through small entrepreneurial activities.
As a young person that had to make life work for myself, no matter the costs, I soon discovered the importance of mental toughness and endurance, education, self-discipline and believing in my crazy dreams when they are all I have.
Eventually, I managed get to Denmark in order to study Value Chain Management. Already in the first month I didn’t have enough money to pay my rent and deposit, even though I worked my butt off in Italy for various summer jobs. I was in a foreign country, alone and with almost no money and it didn’t seem I will find a job soon. I was stressed every day and couldn’t fall asleep, but I was determined to make it work.
Your ambitious dreams are worth fighting for!
The following 3,5 years would become the most challenging of my entire life, I would deliver newspapers, work night-shifts in deposits and get a cleaning job – all while wanting to be a great student and not forgetting why I was here. I was also fortunate to meet some extraordinary people that helped me and I will forever be grateful to the people who contributed to my success.
My hunger for knowledge was greater than ever – I was reading about 5-10 books per month (besides what I had to read for school). But now I also felt an inner desire to share my knowledge and my experience with other young people. So, my second biggest dream, was to write “Be Young and Successful” – ‘My story, dream, techniques and success. How YOU can do it as well!’. I wrote, self-published, marketed, sold and distributed the book in approximately 150 copies, in 5 countries in order to inspire and give the necessary tools for any young person to achieve their dreams. All through this blog here. (I am currently translating the book in English – click here if you want to Pre-Order an autographed book)
I received a lot of “thank-you messages” from my readers and this was so important for me, because this is why I did – my efforts to help them worked. I had people write me that the book encouraged them, gave them the motivation and tools to follow their dreams again, that it was a unique book – one person actually told me that this book got her out of depression (see testimonials on the book’s presentation page). I couldn’t have imagined having this impact in 100 years and I feel so blessed and fortunate to have reached these people.
In the start of 2017 I graduated as a Value Chain Manager and instead of getting the secure job I was once thinking about, I decided to continue following my ambitious dreams and start a company (and in general lead an entrepreneurial lifestyle). So I’m currently working in my own company, creating a team and continuing to share my knowledge and experiences with the people that have common interests.
And because a professional dreamer is never out of dreams, when I consider the time is right, I will also attempt to cycle around the world on a recumbent bike.
I would like to share one of my favorite encouragements, that incidentally comes from Steve Jobs. I listen to these words every day:
“When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… You can build your own things, that other people can use. Is to shake off this erroneous notion, that life is just there for you to live in it, versus change it, embrace it, improve it, make your mark upon it. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
I know that the young people of today will be the ones to “put a dent in the universe” – and I’m here to help them do so, and do it together with ’em!
Wishing you all the success you deserve!
Citius, Altius, Fortius. (~Faster, Higher, Stronger)
Leonard Burcă
Horsens, Denmark