Sean Swarner was voted One of the World’s Top 8 Inspiring People of all Time and is the recipient of ESPN’s, Don’t Ever Give Up Award.
He is a two time cancer survivor who was first diagnosed at age 13 with Hodgkin’s Disease and later with Askin’s sarcoma and is believed to be the only person in the world to ever have been diagnosed with both these deadly cancers.
Sean established his own foundation (The Cancer Climber Association) which promotes cancer awareness and helps raise money for cancer research. He is also the author of Keep Climbing.
Sean Swarner is Driven By | Knowing there are others in the world who are fighting for their lives, who need a little boost in life. Those who need hope in their lives are the ones who inspire me to Keep Climbing.
My Highlights | Battling through two cancers and being in remission is something to be proud of, but I was also given 3 months to live and then 14 days to live. I was also in a coma for a year and now only have one lung. Climbing Everest with that one lung and becoming the first cancer survivor to stand on top of the world is something to be proud of as well. What makes me most proud is when I speak to people and see that I’ve influenced their lives for the better… knowing I’ve made a difference.
The Difference Between good And Great | A certain set of values combined with confidence… but not over-confidence. One must truly remain humble to achieve greatness.
Start Having Already Achieved | Many people view goal-setting incorrectly. They picture the mountain and start at the base, in essence “climbing” to the summit and moving forward on goals accomplished. Those successful goals give them a sense of encouragement and desire to continue. What’s not correct about that view is when an obstacle is placed in one’s path that difficulty may be too large or overwhelming to overcome. In my personal view… I begin successful.
I begin on the summit. I take the mountain and flip it upside down. Before I even begin on any journey, I picture the end result and make it real in my mind’s eye, and if any obstacles get in my path, they will only slow me down… never stop or prevent me from achieving my goal. Why? Because in my head I’m already there and anything that gets in my way is never enough to deter me from the emotions of already accomplishing my goal.
It Is important To | Live by a certain set of morals and ethics.
A Critical Skill To Achieve Success | It’s a mental ability to perceive success in my mind even before beginning.
How I Use My Mind | It’s very important to do something that works for you, something that’s unique to your personal style of success. However, during the journey to your goal, always remember that you do not have to be THE best…. But be YOUR best.
Advice On Building Wealth | Keep everything in perspective. Keep in mind that neither of those terms (wealth or richness) mean the same to everyone, but if you want to feel rich or wealthy…. remove everything you have that money can’t buy and see what you have left. Then you will truly feel rich in life.
Jessica Lawrence is the Executive Director of NY Tech Meetup (NYTM), the largest Meetup in the world and a non-profit organization supporting New York’s growing technology community. NYTM’s goal is to build a sustainable and diverse technology industry that drives economic growth, leads innovation, and creates positive, high-impact change. The organization’s perennially sold-out monthly events […]
Severine Autesserre is an Associate Professor of Political Science, specializing in international relations and African studies, at Barnard College, Columbia University (USA). Severine traces civil war and endemic violence to its roots, and its resolution, in local and interpersonal conflicts. Severine Autesserre is Driven By | I am driven by a visceral hatred of violence […]
With a wealth of knowledge from years spent in the IT sector, Keith Jones founded Start With 7 (SW7) to fulfill his passion to grow startup technology businesses in Africa. Recognising the dynamic changes facing this industry, Keith rolls up his sleeves to share his considerable experience through mentoring and gives us now an insight […]
Janet is co-founder and managing partner of Charlotte Rhys, South Africa’s leading luxurious bath, body and lifestyle range. Within 14 years the brand expanded from a single product to over 100 luxury products. Today they supply leading hotels across the world. My Definition Of Success | Success means achieving the goals you set, and it is inevitable […]
Suzana Machado Padua (Brazil, 1950) has a background in Visual Communication from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1977). Since the late 80s, she began to work on environmental education, focusing on the protection of one of the most endangered species of primates in the world: the black-lion tamarin. This primate became the […]
Garth Walker is the founder of design studio, Mr Walker. His interests lie in developing and encouraging a design language “rooted in the African experience” and it is this that he is best known for. Since 1995 and some 24 issues later, Walker has published Africa’s only experimental graphics magazine, i-jusi. He has been widely […]
Vicky Colbert is the Founder and Director of Fundación Escuela Nueva, and co-creator of the Escuela Nueva pedagogical model, known for its effectiveness in improving the quality and relevance of basic education in underprivileged schools across Colombia and beyond. She is the 2013 WISE Prize for Education Laureate. Vicky Colbert of Success | For me […]
Chloe Howard was born with a clubfoot. This meant enduring much corrective surgery and not growing up walking and running freely with her peers. From a young age, Chloe learnt to deal with physical and emotional suffering. Her parents wisely instilled in her the belief that she was born special and that God has a […]
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