International film superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, a village near Graz, Austria. His father was a police chief and also Schwarzenegger's life mentor. On his 10th birthday, his father asked him to share his life aspirations. Standing before the candles on his birthday cake, young Schwarzenegger made three wishes: first, to become the strongest man in the world; second, to become a successful businessman; and third, to become an outstanding politician. The police chief father was deeply pleased upon hearing his son's ambitions. However, unlike many other fathers who might shower their children with praise, he chose instead to tell his son a story:
"At the entrance of Nelson College in Philadelphia, USA, stand two sculptures: an eagle and a horse. The eagle hangs its head, its body shrunken; the horse, with eyes half-open, has its skin torn and flesh exposed. Why would Nelson College erect such strange sculptures? People were puzzled, so a young student went to ask the college president.
The president pointed to the eagle and said, 'This eagle, from a young age, longed to soar through the skies and fly freely like other eagles. So it began practicing all kinds of flying skills. After diligent study, the eagle finally mastered many advanced flying techniques. Soon, it couldn't wait to spread its wings and fly into the blue sky. It flew and flew—gliding, diving, circling—showcasing all its flying abilities. It traveled far and wide, fully enjoying the vastness of the sky and the beauty of the earth. It felt proud and triumphant about its success. Eventually, the eagle grew tired and hungry, but when faced with rabbits and field mice running on the ground, it had no idea how to catch them, because it had never learned hunting skills—its entire focus had been on flying. By evening, the eagle was utterly exhausted, lying helpless on a cliff, and died of starvation.
'What about the horse?' the young student asked. The president continued, 'That was a conceited horse. Originally, the horse lived with a miller, spending its days turning the millstone. The horse felt wronged, thinking, 'I am a horse built for running—how can I spend my days turning a millstone?' So the horse went to God to complain. God then placed the horse with a farmer, who occasionally had the horse pull carts to transport grain and goods. The horse thought this life was good. But not long after, the horse began complaining again about the poor food at the farmer's, as the farmer only fed it dry, withered straw. So God moved it to another household where it could eat well—a tanner's home. The tanner fed the horse delicious, nutritious bean pulp at every meal, never made it work, and brushed its coat daily. The horse was utterly content. But soon, the tanner tied the horse to a post, killed it with a single stroke, and skinned its high-quality hide.'"
The father told Schwarzenegger, "This story teaches us that a person must not only have dreams but also learn how to survive. First, one must master the basic skills of survival. Second, one must understand the rule of survival: a person must first do well the work they are currently engaged in, and never complain before it is done properly."
Schwarzenegger always remembered this life lesson taught by his father, and it continually guided his life. To survive, he diligently studied the essential skills for making a living, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Wisconsin with excellent grades. He also deeply studied Dr. Hill's "Psychology of Success," using real estate ventures to earn his first fortune and becoming a millionaire. He never complained about fate, but instead focused wholeheartedly on excelling in every job he undertook. When training in bodybuilding, he trained seven days a week, six hours a day, eventually winning one Mr. International, five Mr. Universe (World Bodybuilding Champion), and seven Mr. Olympia titles—a feat unprecedented and unmatched in the history of bodybuilding. After moving to the United States at age 21, his achievements in the film industry became widely known, as he created many classic characters on screen and rose to international stardom. His books, once published, sold out immediately; his dedication to public service earned him the "National Leadership Award" from President George H. W. Bush. After being sworn in as the 38th Governor of California on November 17, 2003, he devoted himself tirelessly to the economic prosperity and development of the state.