7 Best from Rags to Riches Stories ...

1. Oprah

I can’t even begin discussing success stories without mentioning Oprah Winfrey and, in case you’re a fan, I bet you know why. Now, in case you’re not a fan (which is an option, too) and you have no idea about what Oprah’s life used to be like before she became uber famous (and rich), you’re probably interested to know more about her childhood which, by the way, was anything but normal! Oprah was raped when she was 9 then got pregnant at the age of 14 and experienced another emotional trauma when the child she gave birth to at such an early age died! Oprah later moved in with her father, found a job in a local radio station and… you know how those things go – first radio, then TV and, if you’re really good, you get your own talk show. Well, Oprah was apparently so good, she got to buy out her own TV show! She definitely went from rags to riches!

2. Snoop Dogg

Many people would like to be in Snoop Doggy Dogg’s shoes now and for a very good reason, I might add! However, when Snoop was young, I bet not even Snoop himself wanted to be in his shoes. Drugs, gangs, jail time, you name it - Snoop was indeed living that hard life, which cannot be said for many artists these days. His luck changed once Dr. Dre got his hands on one of Snoops demos and the rest… well, you know the rest. Snoop is a legend these days with enough money in the bank to support all the extravaganza he could ever wish for and, if you think he has to do music to maintain a steady cash flow, you’re sadly mistaken, as Snoop knows better than putting all his eggs in one basket. He has his own record label, merchandise, fashion, even his own drink and action figures!

3. Jim Carrey

Jim’s childhood was no laughing matter, ladies and gents, so if you ever wish to know the reasons for Jim’s incredible humor, I bet you won’t find them in this period of his life. For Mask a.k.a Ace Ventura a.k.a Jim Carrey a.k.a one of the funniest, most talented actors ever schooldays were like a long camping trip and I don’t mean that in that fun “picking flowers all day, roasting marshmallows all evening” way! Oh no, he was actually living in a camping van and working in the tire factory! The funny boy then decided to drop out of high school and move to LA which, you must agree, was a pretty risky move that, luckily, paid out. Pretty inspiring, huh? Yeah and, as you can see, even the biggest names in Hollywood had to work hard and take risks in order to earn their celebrity status so the next time you think the road that leads from rags to riches is a short and easy one – think again!

4. J.K. Rowling

She is the author of Harry Potter books and, as you might have guessed, a billionaire but J.K. Rowling had to give up a lot to get to where she is right now. She raised a child and lived on welfare for two years trying to get her book finished and published which I’m guessing wasn’t an easy task. She chose not to work but focus on her book instead and, although this decision might have been too radical, I must give her kudos for being so brave! She knew she had something good, she knew her goose would start laying golden eggs soon and she had decided to go with it. Now, I’m not saying we should all quit our jobs and count on taxpayers to get our kids through college, of course, but the next time you have a really good idea try to think positive! Think about things you can gain from it and things you are willing to sacrifice rather than things you could loose and things that may go wrong. Follow your gut from time to time!

5. Demi Moore

Who could have guessed that Demi Moore, that gorgeous, glamorous, popular and oh-so-rich Demi Moore has her own, sad childhood story to share with the world! You see, unlike some celebrity brats whose only talents are getting wasted and spending dad’s money, Demi had to claw her way to the top and going from rags to riches was certainly not an easy goal for her. She got sick and tired of her abusive parents and the trailer she lived in at the age of 16 so she ran off hoping she’d have more luck modeling. Lady Luck, however, had totally different plans for Demi, so she made a career (and a truckload of cash) on TV!

6. Shania Twain

I don’t like her singing and I certainly don’t think she’s one of those artists that will really matter 20 years from now but, when it comes to her private life or, more specifically, the life she led before the fame and wealth, all I can do is give her a big applause! You see, Shania was only 21 when her parents died and she had not one or two but THREE siblings to take care of after this tragic event. Did she chicken out? Did she run off? No! She raised the young ones and then focused on fame and making money! Now… that’s something to think about.

7. Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito is the man, the legend and the last person whose interesting success story I’d like to share with you today! You’re probably wondering how fast he managed to go from rags to riches so I won’t keep you guessing any longer – it wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. In fact, DeVito was so broke he had to sleep in public transportation because he couldn’t afford any kind of accommodation! A few pennies were all he had in his pockets and he used them to call his agent who, this time, had a job for him! The job turn out to be a role in Taxi and the rest is history!

All of these folks had a bad start and every reason not dream but they’ve decided to give it a shot anyways and look where that took them - all the way from rags to riches! Now, would it be so crazy to expect that you, me or any one of our friends and family members could face the same fate? Guess not! However, if going from rags to riches was so easy, everybody would do it so I guess you’d have to try really hard to get there! What do you think and if you could choose your own celebrity career and your own from rags to riches story, what would it be?

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