Being highly successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and plenty of outside support for someone to make it big in sports, entertainment, or business. But what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael Eddie the Eagle Edwards, and that he reached that goal was an amazing achievement.

Born in the U.K. in 1963, Michael was an enthusiastic downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-class competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics, but there were a large number of downhill competitors, and Edwards didn't qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping didn't cost nearly as much, and there was almost no competition for a place on the Britain team.

But number of hurdles (障碍)could have meant the end of Edwards' dream. He weighed more than most competitors, which put him at a disadvantage. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles (护目镜)- not a good thing when they steamed up at high altitudes. But he couldn't let any of this discourage him. He saw himself as a true lover of the sport who simply wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn't the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could stop him from trying.

In the end, Edwards took 55th place in the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his events. Many athletes would have been embarrassed by this result, but he is proud of his achievement to this day. His determination to fight against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle was made about his life.

When a woman was talkative while checking out at a Dollar General, her cashier, Emily Dunean didn’t think much of it. But she stayed attentive as the 85-year-old told her about herself. A man behind her in line noticed what was happening, too.

Gerald Swindle was in a hurry to go hunting that day and was a bit annoyed with how long their conversation was going. But as Gerald waited for his turn, his attitude began to change. Not only did he conclude that hunting wasn’t more important than their conversation, but found himself captivated by what the elderly woman said once he stopped to listen.

“You were patient with this lady,” Gerald later said in a video recalling what had happened. “You did nothing but followed her conversation, listening to every word she said, and never rushing her.”

He added, “You showed me what people ought to be. Sometimes it might be the only person they talk to this week. You inspired me and sometimes I need that, so I appreciate it.”

Since posting the video online, it’s become popular with nearly 2 million views!

“I never expected this to come about because it was just a regular day for me. I was just doing my job,” Emily said.

As the comment section quickly filled with others sharing how inspired they felt by Emily’s kindness, higher-ups at Dollar General heard of the story. One day, members from the company’s leadership team showed up to her store and presented her with flower, and a $1,000 donation to a local elementary school.

Best of all, that elderly woman has since come back to the store several times, and the two of them are becoming quite close. “What I’ve learned is so amazing—you can have an effect on people just by being yourself, working at the Dollar General,” she said.

A famous professor (教授) did a study in a primary school. At the beginning of the school year, teachers were given the names of five children. The teachers were told that these students were the best students in the class while the fact was that these students were only average (中等的). But by the end of the year these five average students scored the highest in the class.

What made these average students change so much to become top students? The only difference was the change in the teachers’ attitudes (态度). Since the teachers believed that these five kids were the top students, they expected more from them. So these five average students began to expect more from themselves.

You know, if you expect the best from others, they’ll usually want to give you their best. A great leader said, “Treat a person just how he appears to be on the outside, and you’ll make him even worse. But treat a person like he’s already a success, and you’ll help make him the best he can be.”

It reminds me of another story of 7-year-old Johnny. His teacher got so tired of him. One day she said, “Johnny, you’re the naughtiest (最淘气的) boy in this class!” The next year Johnny had a different teacher. The new teacher said, “Johnny, I’ve heard a lot about you. But I don’t believe a word of it.” Johnny’s new teacher treated him as if he was one of the smartest, best-behaved students. Well, you guessed it. After just a few months, Johnny became one of the top students in that class. Later on he became a great leader.

Therefore, it’s the power of our love, belief, and encouraging attitude towards our children that matter.