Blood. Money. Intelligence | There’s a reason why the good die young…

The importance of goal setting is stressed onto us early on in our lives starting from that question we are all asked when we’re kids. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Of course at such a young age we can’t make rational life long decisions, so we respond with the most imaginative answer we can think of. This is done for a few reasons. Firstly, it allows the child to engage in creative thinking and decision making, opening the mind up to endless possibilities that can be chosen. Secondly, it allows the adult asking the question to assess the child’s personality and character based on the child’s decision, to which it can be developed further or altered to head in a totally different direction. Thirdly, it prepares the child to think about setting a goal to achieve, even though it may be temporary. The same question will be put to that same child during their teenage years and then at a crucial point in life - young adulthood, where a final decision is essential. I’ve chosen Arnold Schwarzenegger to represent this topic. The reason is simple… He is the Governor of California…Take a closer look if you’re having trouble seeing this from my point of view.
Schwarzenegger: the Austrian born immigrant raised in a depressing and often abusing broken home. Schwarzenegger: the iron pumping gym fanatic and seven time Mr. Olympia. Schwarzenegger: the barbarian who was mocked for his poor English and strong accent.
Yes. Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood superstar with blockbuster movie titles that shaped the Hollywood film industry’s action genre forever. Yes. Schwarzenegger, the Republican enthusiast, then Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in the ‘93 Bush administration.

Schwarzenegger: the Governor of California and one of the world’s most influential and wealthiest men.

It is claimed in Arnold: An Unauthorized Biography by Wendy Leigh that Schwarzenegger had planned his political rise from an early age. His captivation with politics, the powerful people and the influential leaders led him to say, “I wanted to be part of the small percentage of people who were leaders, not the large mass of followers…I was always fascinated by people in control of other people.” Schwarzenegger had it all thought up and would use whatever talent and skills he possessed to achieve his goal. His passion for body-building would create an unforgettable character that was unknown to the world at the time. And so, from 1966 his pursuit for the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles began, eventually winning Mr. Universe in 1967. With the prize money he would be given the opportunity to move to the United States in 1968, only aged 21, to subsequently win the Mr. Olympia title in 1970 and then six times after that. With the attention it brought him, Arnold was able to establish a movie career and acquire celebrity status. The Schwarzenegger name would soon become legendary and his image an unforgettable icon linked to blockbuster titles such as Conan the Barbarian and Terminator II .
Around this time Arnold was also becoming interested in American politics. After listening to a speech by Nixon, he became so supportive of Nixon’s speeches during his presidential race that his support for Republican Party and its policies was almost instant. By 1988 Schwarzenegger was campaigning for George H.W. Bush and supported President Ronald Reagan while he was in office. Reagan, a movie star turned president, was an idol to Arnold as well as a living representation of Arnold’s dreams and ambitions. Between 1990 and 1993, Schwarzenegger was appointed as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, his first political assignment. During that time, Schwarzenegger traveled across the U.S. promoting physical fitness to kids and lobbying all 50 governors in support of school fitness programs. In 2003 however, Arnold was presented with an opportunity he couldn’t refuse – the 2003 recall election for Governor of California. This was his chance to finally accomplish his great ambition of fulfilling a political career. By this time Schwarzenegger was more than just an action hero, he was also extremely wealthy- a successful businessman and investor – and very influential. He went on to win the Californian recall and became the first foreign-born governor in Californian history since 1862.

To gain a prominent position in the realm of clout, riches and pleasure, a serious goal needs to be set and accomplished through blood (either yours or not), money and intelligence. The goal set doesn’t necessarily have to be numeric; unless it’s a specific amount of cash you’ve always dreamed of acquiring, and it doesn’t need to be broad, in fact, make it as specific as possible. Most importantly it needs to be realistic and it needs to be set by YOU– not a community, not a group, not friends or family. You’re doing this for yourself. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You’ll start to spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.

The stepping stones to power were Arnold’s love of body building and then pursuing his acting career. Schwarzenegger always had American politics in his sights and therefore wisely utilized the two industries to enter politics as a known public figure with a large following. Dana Rohrabacher a fellow Republican notes, ”When I first met him, he talked about how much he loved America, how much he admired Reagan,” said Mr. Rohrabacher, now a congressman from Huntington Beach. ”I remember him saying, ‘Dana, some day I’m going to be governor of California and I’m going to call you.’ I knew he was a guy going places.”
Schwarzenegger’s film stardom led him to meet top Republicans like Mr. Reagan, Vice President George Bush and Pete Wilson, then a senator from California and eventually the Governor.

With rumors circulating that by 2010 Schwarzenegger would be running for a seat in the Senate some citizens are hoping to amend the Constitution so he can run for President of the United States. Arnold’s net worth is estimated at USD $100–$200million, but his complete fortune - including the stocks, bonds, business investments and real estate he owns - is actually estimated anywhere in between USD $800–$900 million.