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22-Year-Old Dad Drives to Job Interview With Expired License - Cop Pulls Him Over and Makes Him an Unexpected Offer
Uplifting News

22-Year-Old Dad Drives to Job Interview With Expired License - Cop Pulls Him Over and Makes Him an Unexpected Offer

Job interviews are stressful enough on their own. But imagine you’re on your way to one when all of a sudden police sirens start going off behind you. Your motivation would probably dwindle pretty fast. That was the situation a 22-year-old man named Ka’Shawn Baldwin found himself in back in 2019 when he was on his way to an interview at FedEx.That unlucky day on the road, Baldwin had all kinds of thoughts going through his head. He knew his license had expired, but he didn’t know the vehicle, which he had borrowed from his friend, also had an expired license plate.“Car’s going to get towed, I’m going to go to jail for not driving with a valid license. More tickets, more fines, that’s all I was thinking about,” he told Good Morning America.“The routine thing is to tow the car and take the person to jail who is driving the car,” he added to NBC News.The Down on His Luck Dad and the Life-Changing Police StopWhen Baldwin explained to Officer Roger Gemoules that he was driving illegally because he had no other way to get to his job interview (where he would hopefully be able to start making money to pay for his expired license and to provide for his two-year-old daughter), he got an unexpected break that set him up for success.With everything that’s been going on lately in the community and around here, police really get a bad rap.Officer Roger Gemoules to GMAAt the time, Gemoules was a high school resource officer with the Cahokia Police Department in Illinois. However, the school was closed for spring break so he was on patrol instead. When he came across Baldwin, he practiced a bit of active listening. After hearing his story, he decided to help him out rather than give him a ticket he probably couldn’t afford to pay. Instead, he followed Baldwin back to his house, then gave him a ride to the job interview. In the end, Baldwin was only a few minutes late.“He was polite when I pulled him over and he seemed like a good young man, so I wanted to give him a chance,” Gemoules added to NBC News. "I knew if I gave him a bunch of tickets and towed his car, it would be tough to recover from."“I was shocked that he actually gave me a ride to the interview. Normally cops, from where I’m from, they don’t really do stuff like that. It meant everything to me. It brought my spirits up,” Baldwin explained to GMA.How a Police Officer Helped Turn a Man’s Luck AroundAs it turns out, Gemoules’ offer of help did more than pick up a young guy’s spirits -- it also helped him land the job. Baldwin later posted about the entire experience on Facebook in a post that went viral. And when he learned that he had been hired, he sent Gemoules a DM to thank him again."I never looked at police in a negative manner or in a positive manner," Baldwin added to NBC News. "I never looked at them in any manner. But this just made me give them more respect than I did before."It meant everything to me. It brought my spirits up.Ka’Shawn BaldwinGemoules, meanwhile, was celebrated by his department for his kind actions, and the mayor of Cahokia also thanked him for showing compassion and putting community first. “I’m very proud of Officer Gemolus and the outstanding judgment and decision-making that he used in helping this young man,” Mayor Curtis McCall Jr. said.How a Police Officer Proved Leading With Your Heart Can Be InspiringWe all know the law’s the law, but sometimes good people find themselves in unfortunate circumstances with no other options. Legally, Gemoules could have very well given Baldwin a ticket, and it could have resulted in him missing that job interview, not to mention the fact he would have yet another bill to pay.Sometimes, as Gemoules proved, it really is better to give people a pass. Whether you intentionally forget how a friend or relative owes you some money, you let a parent with impatient kids cut in line at a grocery store, or you forgive a friend for being snappy after they’ve had a bad day, there are many ways to practice compassion in our everyday lives as well.As this story reminds us, it’s a lot easier for everyone if sometimes we forgo that black-and-white view in favour of those softer shades of grey.More from Goalcast:Police Officer Intends to Ticket a Parked Car – But the Surprising Note the Driver Had Left for Him Changes His MindStruggling Mom Has Parking Tickets Worth $460 – Judge Asks Her to Pay Only $200, Then Changes His MindJudge Calls Single Mom “Irresponsible” for Her 14 Parking Tickets – Then She Made a Plea That Changed His Mind

441-Lb Dad Loses More Than Half His Weight to Get Healthy for His Kids — Now He’s Running Marathons
Motivation

441-Lb Dad Loses More Than Half His Weight to Get Healthy for His Kids — Now He’s Running Marathons

31-year-old Rob Sparkes of Somerset, England knew he had to make a change. Not just for himself, but for his two children as well.Topping the scales at 441 pounds, Rob was missing out on many of the things that other parents got to do with their children. Things like going on rides at the play park and going to movies. Just walking up a flight of stairs would leave him breathless.But more than the FOMO (fear of missing out) was the fear that if he didn't do something soon, his kids would grow up without a father.So, he decided to lose the weight, and in doing so, gained a whole new life.How a Dad Lost More Than Half His Body Weight After a routine checkup and a dire warning from his doctor that he was on the road to diabetes or worse, Rob began his weight-loss journey in September 2019.Living off of a diet of pizza, bacon, chips, and burgers & fries and chasing it down with a 2-liter of Coke, Rob was consuming a whopping 6,000 calories a day. More than double the recommended amount, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans."I just couldn’t stop. I just got in a really bad rut,” Rob said.Using his kids as motivation and with the encouragement of his wife, he started by changing his eating habits. He replaced his junk food with chicken and veggies and ditched the sugary snacks. Six months later he decided to start working out. While the world was coming to a stop thanks to a global pandemic, Rob was just getting going. In March 2020, he downloaded the Couch to 5K app and joined the gym and a running club. Nine months later, he crossed the finish line of his first marathon, having just run 26.2 miles (42.19 km). “It was meant to be an official one, but they all got postponed due to Covid, so my running club did an unofficial one. I had my wife and kids there waiting for me at the end, and it felt amazing. I ran it in five hours and 24 minutes, but I ran the whole thing."And he hasn't stopped.Losing Weight Was Just the Beginning(InspireMore)In just fifteen months, Rob lost an impressive 228 pounds. Not only did he reach his goal weight, but he also gained a new passion for running. Nowadays, he spends nearly every weekend running a half marathon to stay in shape. He's also raced in several marathons and raised $1500 for the Alzheimer Society by hiking the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge—a 25-mile hike up the 3 highest peaks in Yorkshire.And in January 2022, Robert Sparkes fulfilled his dream of competing in an ultramarathon, running a grueling 43 miles (69 km). He completed the Country to Capital Ultra Marathon, which winds through the English countryside and into the heart of London, in 9 hours and 55 minutes.Rob's transformation is truly an inspiration. With dedication, commitment, and hard work, he was able to achieve his weight loss goals. Today, not only is Rob able to keep up with his children, but he's also able to do things he never thought possible. By prioritizing his health, he was able to achieve a healthier and happier life for himself and his family. And he no longer worries that he won't be around for his kids, which is the biggest win of all.https://www.goalcast.com/weight-loss-motivation/

How a Shipwreck Victim Who Nearly Drowned After 3 Days Underwater Now Braves the Depths of the Ocean as a Professional Diver
Motivation

How a Shipwreck Victim Who Nearly Drowned After 3 Days Underwater Now Braves the Depths of the Ocean as a Professional Diver

How many nightmares can you cram into one situation before it seems so far-fetched that it’s hard to even imagine? Would the threat of drowning, being trapped in a confined space, in absolute darkness, and the possibility of being eaten by sharks hit that mark?That’s the exact nightmare situation a 29-year-old Nigerian man named Harrison Okene found himself starting in during the early morning hours of May 26, 2013. "Starting" is important to stress here because Okene would end up spending close to three days nearly 100 feet below the surface of the ocean, trapped in a room in a sunken boat and with almost no hope of surviving.RELATED: How A Kidnapping Survivor Who Escaped From A Car Trunk Is Saving LivesThe more you come to learn about Harrison Okene’s shocking ordeal, the more you will appreciate the resilience and will of this man — and when you learn what he ended up choosing as his career in the years after the harrowing days spent stuck in a sunken ship, you’ll only admire him all the more.A Freak Wave and a Tragic AccidentHarrison Okene was a crewmember of a tugboat called the Jascon-4, per 9 News, which was at the time charged with helping tankers ferry fuel oil from offshore oil platforms operated by Chevron. Okene and his fellow seamen had years of experience plying the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Nigerian coast, thus no one had any reason to suspect that late May day would prove a fateful one.Almost everyone on the vessel was asleep that early morning when Okene arose and headed to the bathroom before beginning his shift working as the ship’s cook. It was then that a rogue wave smashed into the Jascon-4, capsizing the boat which immediately began to take on water and sink.Thrown violently about but still able to gain his feet, Okene struggled to find a way to escape the sinking boat, but every door he encountered was locked: a standard procedure meant to keep the slumbering crew safe against pirates who may have attempted to raid the ship. But it also, unfortunately, prevented any chance of Okene getting out of the Jascon-4 before it sank all the way to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.Okene found himself stuck in a corner of an officer’s cabin, relegated to a pocket of air that had been trapped in the room as the boat sank and then settled on the seafloor. He had no idea then that his ordeal was far from over — in fact, it was just beginning.60 Hours of Quiet TerrorAs the Jascon-4 settled down onto the bottom of the ocean approximately 20 miles off the coast of Africa, Okene assumed all the other members of the 12-man crew must have escaped from the doomed ship. He would not learn for many days that, in fact, he would be the sole survivor.His survival ordeal began that morning, but it would last for a ghastly 60 additional hours. During that time, Okene went entirely without food or water. He was miserably cold. He was entirely in darkness. But he was not alone.More than once during his nearly three days trapped underwater, Okene described hearing aquatic animals moving about in the boat and what he identified as, per 9 News, “the bite of fish,” which may well have been sharks feeding on the bodies of crewmen deceased in adjacent rooms.With time a blur and his strength fading, Okene soon gave up much hope of making it out of the boat alive. He tried many times to free himself, following a rope through the dark, water-filled wreck, but every time he was forced to return to his little air pocket and simply wait for the end to come.When it did, it was not in the form of death, but of rescue."He's Alive! He's Alive!" — A Miracle Under the SeaApproximately 60 hours after the Jascon-4 had capsized and sank, South African rescue and recovery diver Nico van Heerden made his way into the ship. van Heerden and his fellow divers were not there as part of a rescue operation, mind you — they had been tasked by Chevron to recover the bodies of the men lost in the accident.The moment van Heerden entered the space where Harrison Okene was trapped was one neither man will ever forget, and amazingly it’s one millions of others will long remember as well, because Nico van Heerden had a camera running at the time.Watching the video of van Heerden finding Okene brings chills to the spine and a tear to the eye. From the murky depths before the diver’s mask, a hand slowly emerges. The voice of a man watching van Heerden's video feed says via radio: “Alright, we found one,” meaning a body.But then the hand closes around the diver’s glove, and in pure shock, van Heerden exclaims: “He’s alive! He’s alive!”Gently holding Okene's hand, van Heerden emerges from the water into the pocket of air and the camera finds Okene's face at last. His expression is one blending complete exhaustion, disbelief, relief, and wonder. Harrison slowly shakes his head from side to side, then settles back as if too overwhelmed even to sit upright. Overwhelmed, and short of air: it’s likely he would have succumbed to hypercapnia and died as a result of built-up CO2 within a mere matter of hours.His life had been saved, but the ordeal was not over.A slow trip up and a new path in lifeBecause Harrison Okene had been underwater for nearly three days, he had to be brought to the surface very slowly to reduce the risk of decompression sickness —— commonly known as the bends — and he was given a special mixture of oxygen and helium to breathe.Despite being an inexperienced diver, Harrison did well as he donned scuba gear and was led from the boat and slowly helped to ascend to the surface. Above the water, Okene had to spend nearly three days in a decompression chamber, in which he was given plenty of food, water, and medication.Finally free of the depths and released from the decompression chamber, Harrison Okene was reunited with his wife and the rest of his family. Plagued by nightmares and traumatized by his experience, Okene at first vowed never to return to the sea. But then, over time, an amazing thing happened: rather than repelling him, the ocean was calling to him.Inspired by the men who saved his life, Okene began to train as a diver himself. And just a few short years after nearly dying 90 feet below the surface of the sea, he was a diver rated to go down to 150 feet below it.Today, Harrison Okene is an official IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) Class II certified diver. He is rated to work on and around the very oil rigs serviced by the ships he and his crew once tended to, to dive on wrecks, and, if ever needed, to participate in rescue efforts.

Single Mother of Nine Goes From Homeless to CEO of a Mega Successful Construction Company
Motivation

Single Mother of Nine Goes From Homeless to CEO of a Mega Successful Construction Company

While women have broken through the glass ceilings of the Whitehouse and corner offices, there are few female titans in the construction world. Sadly, harassment and lack of respect continue to keep many of them off that path. Yet against all odds, one hard-hustling woman broke that mold and her story is paving the way for women everywhere. April Malloy had a rough childhood, being abused and bouncing through the foster care system as a teen. RELATED: Mom Learns Her Entitled Son Bullies Classmates for Shopping at Goodwill – Gets Taught a Harsh LessonSpeaking with Fox, she said that things got worse when her troubled marriage ended. It left the single mother of nine homeless, on welfare and living out of her car. When all hope seemed lost, Malloy recalled her source of motivation: "I was in my car, just fighting, then I looked at my kids and you know that love that you have as a mother, and I knew I had to be strong for them."Yet like a ray of light through a cloud, hidden within those trying times would be the key to her rebuild. How a Single Mother Broke Into the Construction WorldDuring those tough foster years, Malloy learned a valuable skill: Handywork. With little time to waste and nine mouths to feed, Malloy got into game mode. With her car doubling as an office, Malloy got to work bidding on construction jobs with laser focus.“I was sleeping in my car and I would answer ads and I was working and pounding the hammer and just pounding the pavement and making it happen.Her resilience paid off, as she landed a contract at the 'Red Lobster' restaurant chain and other jobs. From there, her credentials and clients only grew. Today, Malloy is a force, as the CEO of Construction 1st Class. RELATED: 5-Year-Old Throws Up Every Day Before School Because of Bullies – Then, an Angry Football Star Steps InHer company has developed hotels in Manhattan’s Times Square and restaurants around the Big Apple, not to mention her own property portfolio. No longer cramped in a car, she owns a 7-bedroom home with all the space she or her children can ask for. Yet these days, Malloy is focused on using her success to help other women build a bright future. Her 'She's the boss developers' is a business that is proudly 100% woman-owned that 'strive to hire women and veterans while setting up a mentor program.'Malloy says it's all about elevating women: "I use that opportunity to train more women and I help them financially get on their feet with the non-profit."You Can Build Your Dreams Next job for Malloy? Reality TV. Her 'She's the boss' YouTube channel shares her story to empower and inspire women to become their own bosses. She says there's no mission more important. “Teaching women and training women is the ultimate solution to empower our country. If I can do it, they can do it.”It's easy to read into Malloy's story as a fairy tale that most can't achieve. Yet look closer and see that her toolbox is simple: Block out barriers, and have a strong enough 'Why', and start hammering. Most important of all, she says, is belief. "Walk in the room like you know you’re the boss that you are, and you become the boss."With a foundation like that, you can build castles in the sky.KEEP READING:Racist Bullies Shout Islamophobic Slurs at Girl Calling Her a “Terrorist” — More Than 100 of Her Classmates Stand Up to Protect Her

Weight Loss Motivation Tips to Keep Your Lifestyle Goals on Track
Diet & Exercise

Weight Loss Motivation Tips to Keep Your Lifestyle Goals on Track

Making a lifestyle change is hard work. You often need to override your current habits, get out of your comfort zone and develop new routines. Finding the motivation you need to achieve success isn’t easy. And staying motivated over the long term to hit your goal weight can be just as tough.When it comes to weight loss, so many factors are at play when it comes to sustaining motivation as well as weight loss maintenance. You may be cutting calories, adopting healthy eating, starting an exercise routine and dealing with comments from family members or friends about your new choices, not to mention dealing with everything else in your life. But how to get motivated to lose weight and to keep it off, you may need to adopt new ways of thinking and healthy food intake habits to keep you on track. Here’s what you should know about the (perfectly normal!) struggles many people have when it comes to losing weight, as well as some tested tips for regaining your focus. You can do this! Losing weight: Common strugglesWhether you’re starting an official program or navigating this journey on your own, you may find yourself having a hard time keeping up with your newfound weight loss goal. There are a few reasons you might struggle, even if you’re far along in your weight loss plan and have seen success so far. Maintaining motivation over time takes mental focus and hard work (not to mention a healthy meal or two!)Here are three common weight loss motivation struggles: Focusing too much on on external motivationIf your focus for losing weight is to please other people, or fit into societal standards about what the ideal body should look like, you will likely lose your motivation to continue on your weight loss journey. Why? Because extrinsic motivation—motivation that’s fueled by external accolades and pressure—isn’t as sustainable as intrinsic motivation—the motivation you find within yourself.Extrinsic motivation is categorized by two things. First, there’s avoiding the guilt of not meeting other people’s (or society’s) standards. Then, there’s people pleasing, the desire to win approval from other people. While extrinsic motivation can work well in the beginning, giving you a jumpstart into a new, healthy lifestyle, it won’t allow you to keep up with your weight loss goals over time. Letting your stress go uncheckedLosing weight is sometimes quite a difficult endeavour to undertake. Yet, life still goes on even when you’re working toward this big goal. It’s important to find ways to deal with the stress of everyday life while you’re working on weight loss. Even if this means having to scale back on your exercise so that you can take your dog for a walk and get fresh air, grabbing coffee with a friend so you can get some necessary social time in, or even meeting with your therapist to help manage your stress. (Srdjanns74 / Getty)Too much stress can wreak havoc on your mind and your body. When your body is stressed, the hormone cortisol shoots up. Chronic stress (and that cortisol release) has been linked to increased appetite and weight gain. It can also make you tired, which leads to less energy to work out and a lowered ability to maintain willpower when it comes to keeping up with your healthy habits. Having a perfectionist mindsetWeight loss—like any lifestyle change—is about persistence over perfection. If you’re beating yourself up over every missed workout, every unhealthy snack or every pound gained instead of lost, you’re going to burn out quickly. It’s impossible to maintain perfection when you’re dedicated to weight loss —you’re only human, after all. Operating from an all-or-nothing mentality with lots of restrictions built in (like off-limits foods) can lead you to binging or even giving up entirely. Focus on your journey as a whole, not on every little choice you make having to be perfect. How to stay motivated in your weight loss programStaying in tune with yourself is the best way to maintain weight loss motivation over time. First, harness your inner confidence and autonomy. As mentioned, intrinsic motivation, which comes from within you, is far more likely to help you in accomplishing long term weight loss. Relying on, and pleasing, yourself is far more motivating than losing weight simply to please others or fit in. Just as it is with the American singers Lizzo, weight loss, and Doja Cat's weight loss, body positivity can be a good thing, but not if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Accepting yourself as you are outside of how others perceive the way you look is sometimes the better long-term option. (Getty)Check in with yourself periodically about your weight loss goals and intentions. Tuning in to how you are feeling, where your stress levels are at and how you can best work to take care of yourself will be far more motivating than any outside force. When you treat yourself and your body with respect and kindness, you will believe that you are worth doing anything you set your mind to. Tips for staying motivated to lose weightIn addition to finding intrinsic motivation, there are a number of ways you can help inspire yourself to stay motivated. While some of the ideas on this list may seem extrinsic (like enlisting an accountability partner to help motivate you to lose weight), when the ideas come from a place of self worth and self actualization, these outside forces fulfill your goals and desires, not other people’s. Use the tips below as a jumping off point for developing the practices that will help you stay motivated to lose weight. Some of them will speak to you while others won’t fit with your weight loss journey or goals. That’s okay. By curating your own unique motivation techniques, you’ll be successful on your own terms. Set achievable goalsKeep the focus on progress, not perfection. Set a weight loss goal for yourself that you know you can achieve rather than a too-lofty benchmark that you may not be able to meet. This way, when you accomplish your goal, you can feel a sense of pride that will motivate you to keep going. Smallering milestones to meet will create sustainable motivation to keep you moving in the right direction.Zero in your “why”Determine why you really want to lose weight. If you’re focused on meeting societal standards and pleasing your partner (or other family members), remember that these “whys” are based on extrinsic motivation, which won’t be sustainable. Think about what weight loss will bring to your life: Will you be able to stop taking certain medications? Reduce your risk of certain diseases or conditions? Have more energy to do the things you love? Feel more comfortable within your body? Whatever your why is, identify it and keep it top of mind. Build your confidenceIf you’re having a hard time finding the internal motivation you need to keep going with your weight loss goals, work on building your confidence and loving yourself as is, right now. Losing weight is an important, sometimes life-saving, goal. But accepting yourself for who you are, at any size, gives you the necessary inner strength to believe that you are worthy and enough to make changes that will benefit you. Create a vision boardHaving a visual of what your weight loss will bring to your life can inspire you to keep going. Maybe it’s a picture of your kids taped to your exercise bike. Maybe it’s a screensaver of an adventurous destination you want to travel to on your computer. A visual reminder of your why that’s rooted in what motivates you from within can keep you focused on your weight loss goals. Conversely, photos of super skinny models will only make you feel ashamed and unworthy—don’t surround yourself with unrealistic images of beauty and societal standards that nobody can meet without the help of photoshop and filters. Tackle your emotional hurdlesWhat’s stopping you from becoming your best self? Typically when people begin any kind of transformational journey, including a weight loss program, intrusive thoughts and feelings can come up. Sometimes these are voices from people in our past, emotional pain from not-so-great memories and other trauma you may have faced. Give yourself the time and space to work through any issues that arise, enlisting a therapist if you need additional, professional guidance. Keep a journalDocumenting your weight loss journey can be motivating so you can see how far you’ve come. This isn’t a food diary where you write down everything you eat, which usually just makes people feel anxious and guilty. (Ranta Images / Getty)This is more of an emotional diary where you can track how you’re feeling about your weight loss, how you’re maintaining motivation, what’s been hard or easy for you and so on. Being able to write down your thoughts and feelings can relieve stress and serve as a reminder for your future self about where you were in different stages of your weight loss journey. Clean out your fridgeTypically, eating healthy is one of the main weight loss goals people have. One easy way to accomplish this is to clear out any foods that don’t fit with your new lifestyle from your fridge and your pantry. This doesn’t mean that you have to purge everything with sugar or fat. But you can think about what foods are worth indulging in and which ones just aren’t. Maybe you keep your favorite candy on hand as a treat but you toss the (already stale) cookies that you don’t love quite as much. Stocking your home with nutrient-rich foods that you actually like to eat will help you maintain your weight loss motivation. You have to make room for those items. Clear out your closetIt may seem counterintuitive to suggest that you give away any clothing that doesn’t fit you—especially clothes you’ve been saving to wear until after you’ve lost weight. However, when you see these items hanging lifelessly in your closet, they tend to not be very motivating. They just take up space. Instead, donate anything that doesn’t fit you right now and create a wardrobe of items that you feel confident in. Chances are the items you’ve been saving are old and out of style anyway. Feeling good in your body, right now, is better motivation than seeing clothes you can’t fit into—especially if you feel guilty or ashamed because your body isn’t ready for them quite yet. Track your progressFind a way to track your weight loss to help you stay motivated. Some people take a photo each day, do weekly weigh-ins, vlog about their progress—do whatever works for you to have a tangible record of your actual weight loss. (Zinkevych / Getty)This helps you see how far you’ve come, which is motivation to keep going. Do a social media purgeTake stock of your social media feeds and determine if the accounts you follow are helpful, or decidedly not helpful, as you work to lose weight. Follow any unmotivating or toxic accounts—especially any accounts that make you feel bad about yourself physically or mentally. Feel free to block or unfollow toxic people (even people you know in real life). Fill your feed with inspirational people and accounts that encourage you to keep going, make you laugh and help you de-stress in general. You can also limit your time on social media and work toward connecting with loved ones directly. Move your body every dayDo some form of physical activity. Even just five minutes of exercise can boost your heart rate–and your mood. While dietary changes are typically what help people lose weight, moving your body in some way can contribute to weight loss as well. (Prostock-Studio / Getty)Find an exercise routine or workout that you actually enjoy and stick to it. Whether you walk outside, do yoga or crush hardcore weight classes at the gym, exercise can make you feel good inside and out. Find an accountability partnerIs there someone in your life who you can talk to about wanting to lose weight? Someone who you can turn to when you’re feeling your motivation wane? Someone who will check in with you and keep your spirits high? Think about who this person could be: Your partner, a friend, a parent. This person can hold you accountable to your goals and give you the push you need to keep going when you feel discouraged. Be competitiveIf you’re the type of person who thrives in the face of a challenge or friendly competition, enlist a buddy to compete with you, in a healthy way, with your weight loss. You can encourage each other to hit a certain goal by a certain date, compete in how many workouts you can complete in a month or train together for a big competitive event, like a 5K or a marathon. If competition lights a fire under you, it can be a fun way to keep motivated. Work on your self talkThe voice in your head could be your best friend—or your worst enemy. Start being aware of how you talk to yourself when you’re doing what you’d consider a “good job” losing weight. Do you give yourself the credit you deserve or do you downplay your milestones? Also pay attention to how you talk to yourself when your motivation wanes or you do something that’s not in line with your exercise, food or health goals. Do you beat yourself up about it or accept that you’ll make mistakes and gently prod yourself to get back on track? Your inner advocate (or critic) can either inspire you to keep going or hold you back from truly feeling like you’ve accomplished your goals. Reward your milestonesWeight loss journeys need to include rewards for yourself. Make a plan for how you’ll give yourself those rewards, and you’ll contribute a lot towards your personal weight loss success.Give yourself a budget for something fun you can do for yourself, like getting a massage, buying a new outfit or treating yourself to a fancy dinner at your favorite restaurant. (wundervisuals / Getty)Determine when you will get your rewards—is it after losing a certain amount of weight? After a month of sticking with your plan? Figure out how you will measure success and give yourself the credit you deserve by rewarding your hard work. This will help you stay motivated to get the next reward—and the next on, and the next one and so on. Don’t be too hard on yourselfLosing weight is a journey, not a quick fix. Not only is it hard to lose weight, but it’s hard to stick to a diet perfectly and maintain an exercise routine, as well as simply live your life. Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight and you don’t automatically become a totally different person when you start losing weight. You’ll still have insecurities. You’ll still have stress. So be sure that you’re not being too hard on yourself if you’re not changing quickly enough or you feel like you’re not making enough progress with your weight or in other areas of your life. Weight loss takes timeGive yourself the time and space to make the necessary lifestyle changes you need to make in order to be successful in losing weight. It may take years to adapt to a new lifestyle, especially if this includes new ways of eating and moving that don’t come naturally to you. Staying motivated over the long term comes from within: You have to believe that you can do this over the long haul and that means having the confidence to know that these incremental changes will add up over time.(Inside Creative House / Getty)Dig deep into yourself for that intrinsic motivation, knowing that you are worth the time and effort it will take to ultimately lose weight and make your new lifestyle stick. As your confidence builds and you see results, you’ll be inspired to keep becoming the person you were always meant to be.

24 Relatable Relationship Memes to Make You Fall In Love (Again) With Your Significant Other
Motivation

24 Relatable Relationship Memes to Make You Fall In Love (Again) With Your Significant Other

Romantic relationships are one of the greatest joys a person can experience in life. Having someone you love and who truly loves you back unconditionally is a gift, and a feeling that is hard to even put into words. RELATED: 22 Utterly Wholesome Memes to Restore Your Faith in HumanityEven if you're flying solo right now, these dating and marriage memes will still feel relatable and/or give you inspiration. Save them on your phone to send to your crush -- you never know what might happen! Of course, all relationships require work and can be very hard at times, especially if both people aren't sharing the load, but when you find that special person who loves you for you, something truly magical happens.The Others Don't Matter If You've Already Found 'The One'via BoredPandaSome Things Stay Special - No Matter How Often They Happenvia eBaum's WorldArguments Are Temporary - Love and Respect Are Forevervia KnowYourMemeFind Someone Who Cheers You on - No Matter Whatvia ImgurThe Best Feeling in the World Is Knowing How Loved You Arevia BoredPandaSharing Your Partner's Interests Can Help You Bond via MemeBaseWords on the Screen Can Fill Your Hearth with Warm and Joyvia BuzzfeedA Meme for Your Girlfriend on National Pi Day (3/14)via InstagramAbsence Makes the Heart Grow Strongervia BoredPandaSometimes You Gotta Let Them Know... Hands off!via RedditBeauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder and You Look Like a Snackvia @sgtjuju776A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words...via CheezcakeThe Evolution of a Relationship in One Honest Memevia BuzzfeedWhen You Find a Best Friend and Partner Who Just... Gets Youvia /r/WholesomememesCompromise Is Key to Making a Relationship Workvia MissamysantiagoKnowing Your Partner Cares Is All the Help You Needvia FandomSpotRemember the Importance of Your Relationship Origin Story via boredpandaThere are Moments In Life Where All You Need Is Your Partnervia PinterestNever Forget, They Chose You for a Reasonvia MematicThe Perfect Date Night Can Be a Bed, a Cuddle and a Showvia FunnyJunkLong Distance Relationships Can Be Tough - But Specialvia BoredPandaKeeping the Humor in a Relationship Keeps It Funvia ParksAndRecMemesActions Speak Louder Than Words in Relationshipsvia UpworthyThe Strongest Relationships Survive Despite Divisionsvia SomeEcardsKEEP READING:14 Celebrity Encounters That Will Change the Way You See Your Favorite Stars

Feel Like You’ve Missed Your Shot at a Successful Life? Don’t Give Up Just Yet
Motivation

Feel Like You’ve Missed Your Shot at a Successful Life? Don’t Give Up Just Yet

Have you ever cruelly criticized yourself for not being where you ought to be in life? Maybe you haven’t got the job role you think you deserve, maybe you’re not married or have kids yet. On the other hand, maybe you’ve done everything right -- you were a good student, you landed a great job, have a partner and everything, but you still feel like something it’s missing. You yearn to achieve something that’s undeniably you, not something that society dictates.There’s a societal tendency to venerate youthful achievement and we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others. That’s why most of us are in a hurry to do everything by a certain age. A Stanford study revealed that, across generations, people tend to remain consistent when it comes to the ideal timing for achieving life milestones. They want to get a full-time job, get married, and buy a home -- all of these under the age of 30. However, the researchers show that there is a significant drop in the percentage of people who manage to hit those deadlines (compared to previous generations). RELATED: How to (Actually) Finish A Creative ProjectThis simply means that there are more and more late bloomers out there. Why? Because times have changed and many individuals are sick and tired of following a timeline that leaves them completely dissatisfied with their life.In Aristotle’s Way, Edith Hall talks about the philosopher’s view on the foundation of living a good life. Aristotle says that first you have to become conscious of your skills and talents and then use those resources to make the most of them. If you’re not doing this, you’re not working toward reaching your unique potential -- and it’s only natural to feel dissatisfied. So what’s exactly holding you back from doing it?The Pressure of Becoming an Early-Achiever(Getty)It is insane how important getting into an elite institution has become. Affluent parents fight over putting their children in the most prestigious preschools and then spend tens of thousands of dollars a year.Over the last 20 years, parents have become obsessed with their kids being “the best” to the extent to which they are bribing high-profile universities. Moreover, both the parents and the students are doing whatever it takes to make sure they are making the right connections in order to land an amazing job right after they graduate. While this path is clearly not for everybody, we’re also praising early achievers. Prodigies like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg always make the front page because they’ve become billionaires before the age of 30. Less attention is given to late bloomers.A lot of these preconceptions make people either chase the wrong dreams or see themselves as failures. The pressure among teens of not fitting the standards, being important enough or having enough money is increasing the rates of depression, anxiety and, tragically, suicide.RELATED: How to Travel the World Stress-FreeInstead of having varied interests, studying what we actually enjoy and taking our time, we’re encouraged to choose professional excellence over personal fulfillment. It’s a bit ridiculous how discussions around late bloomers remain unchanged even though more and more people are blooming later. We continue to be surprised whenever we hear a story about someone who has succeeded later in life. We still see this type of success as outside the norm, regardless of its prevalence.It’s still a common belief that if you haven’t accomplished something at an early age, then maybe you’re not capable enough. And whenever someone who’s not that young proves their abilities at an older age, we see it as a rare and curious thing. Not only does this mindset make people give up on their goals, but it also makes them doubt their success when it finally arrives. So what can you do to make sure you don’t miss out on your dreams?Shift Your Narrative(Photo by Shawnee D on Unsplash)If you still look at accomplishments in terms of age, you clearly need to shift your narrative. Late bloomers are not the exception -- they are people who due to various reasons have tapped into their potential later in life. Besides, as Todd Rose (author of Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment) says: “There’s absolutely zero relationship between the age or speed at which you achieve something and the ultimate contribution you can make.”RELATED: 3 Game-Changing Workplace Stressors You Can Cut Right NowSomeone else’s view on what a successful life should look like, won’t get you where you want. Your work should also be a source of fulfillment, not just a means of making money. If you’re fulfilled with what you do, you're more likely to achieve excellence, and excellence is for any age. Sometimes quitting is winningWe sometimes love to hear the idea that “winners never quit and quitters never win”. It motivates us to push our limits even further and that can lead to extraordinary outcomes. But if you misapply your grit, it’ll just burn you out.So sometimes, you have to quit in order to win. Weigh the pros and cons so you can know when to strategically quit. This won’t mean that your first reaction to adversity is to give up. It simply means that you have a realistic view of when quitting is the appropriate thing to do. The Best Pace Is Your Own Pace(Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash)There are plenty of people who reach their goals, personal or professional, in their own timeframe. As a matter of fact, research suggests that it has become increasingly common for people to accomplish major life events at a later age, compared to previous generations. It simply makes sense for individuals to bloom later in life -- we live longer, we’re switching careers more than ever, and we’re seeking more meaning in whatever we’re doing. Fortunately, as time passes the idea according to which succeeding at an older age is rather surprising than impressive becomes outdated and narrow-minded. RELATED: What Does It Mean to Be In a Romantic Friendship?Rich Karlgaard , the author of Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement, said that “ late bloomers tend to be the ones who find their own path that leads them to this magical place where late blooming occurs”. This statement came after he spent five years researching the concept to make sure it’s backed up by science. So do things at your own pace -- not everything is a competition and it’s better to achieve your goals later than never. Never Give Up on Your Dreams(Getty)It’s obviously easier for this to be said than done when the odds don’t seem to work in your favor. But to make sure you hold on to your dreams by trying to create a goal tailored to a specific activity that truly inspires you. For example, if you are a creative person, don’t say “I want to create something” -- this type of declaration is too general to act on. Instead say “I want to do home décor” or “I want to write a book”. Find a specific task that sparkles passion and use it as a guide.Good things come to those who waitEven if you haven’t got to where you ought to be, remember that “with age comes wisdom”, self-knowledge, resilience and all that good stuff. This means that now you’re more equipped to succeed than when you were younger. However, once you decide on the path that will truly fulfill you, you must keep in mind that it may take years, if not longer, to reach the destination. It’s never too late to become yourself and do what you actually love. Since we previously mentioned Aristotle, know that he fully devoted himself to philosophy when he was nearly 50. And if you need an example from our modern society, think of Joanne. This young, talented, but clinically depressed woman who bounced from job to job feeling like a failure. That was until she felt liberated enough to do what she always dreamed of -- writing fantasy novels for children. You probably know her as J.K. Rowling.So take that feeling of despair and use it to your advantage. Remove the pressure of succeeding earlier in life so you can think clearly. And accumulate enough experience to realize that someone else’s recipe for a successful life, might not apply to you.KEEP READING:You’re Making Friends Wrong – Here’s How to Do It Right

Here's Why Passion Is the Key To Success
Motivation

Here's Why Passion Is the Key To Success

Practice, knowledge and skill set are all important foundations for success in any career. However, there's research to support that those who are most successful at what they set out to achieve not only take the time to hone their craft but feel an unrelenting passion for the path they're pursuing.This is why choosing a field you're not only adept at but also passionate about is important. Unlike skills or knowledge, passion isn't something that can be taught. It's an innate feeling, a natural inclination toward a certain end goal. RELATED: When Shaq Discovered A Teen Boy’s Mom Couldn’t Afford Extra-Large Shoes, He Did ThisHere's a look at why passion is key to success, how to find your passion and ways to use it you your advantage to succeed in your future endeavors. What Is Passion?(Photo by Rachel Barkdoll on Unsplash)Loosely defined, passion is the drive we feel to accomplish a certain goal. It's an innate interest in mastering a particular skill or field, an inner drive to be the best at your goal. Today, the term passion is often used when referring to a strong desire or drive for something. Older iterations of the term passion are loosely defined as "a willingness to suffer for what you love." This is why people who have passion for a goal they're pursuing are more successful in getting it. They are undeterred by the challenges, setbacks and difficulties they'll need to endure to achieve their goals.Why is passion the key to success?Researchers have spent time trying to understand the correlation between passion and success. Professional sports players have been the subject of many of these studies since it takes tremendous time, dedication and training to be considered successful on the field. Studies found that in predicting the success of football players, those who were passionate about the game were more likely to meet their practice goals, train effectively and work harder than others who did not display the same kind of passion.RELATED: The Persona: Why Growth Means Removing The Mask You Show To The WorldPassion is so important to success that it's been factored into a newly adapted scale that quantifies what it takes to truly become an expert in a subject or practice. Along with deliberate practice, a positive mindset and belief in your abilities, passion was an essential component for predicting success.How Does Passion Lead To Success?(Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash)Here are a few reasons why passion drives success for those who put it into action.People with passion perceive obstacles differentlyWhen faced with a challenge, passionate people don't back down. Instead, they see the opportunity to learn, grow, and move through the challenge with grit. This is particularly helpful in careers where setbacks are prevalent, as passionate people continue to get back up and keep going even when knocked down.People with passion don't give upThose who are passionate about what they do don't throw in the towel, even if they're not achieving what they consider to be successful right away. RELATED: Overcoming Depression: What to Do When You Feel Like Giving UpWhether a passionate singer is performing for a small room of people or in a sold-out arena, having a space to perform is a validating experience for them and makes them want to continue working toward the goal of larger audiences while being content with what they have at the moment.Passionate people optimize their timePassion-fueled individuals don't waste time procrastinating or waste time elsewhere. Those who are excited by their work look forward to it and strive to get as much done as possible. This helps them cultivate a strong work ethic, which often leads to success. Passionate people have positive attitudesPassionate people aren't afraid to fail. When they do, they don't dwell on the setback. They look at every experience optimistically and continue to approach their craft with a positive mindset, which helps move them forward. Unlike those pursuing a career they lack passion for, they are less likely to show up to work with a poor attitude after experiencing an unwanted outcome or failure. Passionate people stress lessEven if a passionate person is pursuing a high-stress career, their work brings them more joy than stress. They stress less about the path they're seeking, focus on the end goal and enjoy what they learn from the challenges they face and continue to overcome. Passionate people stay focusedWhen you enjoy what you do, it's easier to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Passionate people quickly and easily become immersed in their work and may look up to find that hours have passed since they last checked the time.How to Find Your Passion(Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash)Now you know that passion is the key to success – but what if you still aren't sure what you're passionate about? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help identify your passions.What do you love learning about?Imagine you're in a library full of books with hours to spend reading – but can only choose one section. What topic would be most interesting to you? RELATED: Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in YourselfIdentifying what you're naturally curious about can be a powerful first step in following your passion to find success.What do you already enjoy doing?Take stock of the tasks you enjoy most – these can either be aspects of your current job or hobbies you like to pursue at home. Identifying what assignments and topics excite you most can help point you in the right direction. What friends or family members are most passionate about their work?Another way to work toward finding your passion is to see how others in your inner circle have done so. Take a moment to think about the people in your life who show the most passion and enthusiasm for what they do. Ask them questions about how they discovered their passion and how it's helped lead them to success.Summary(Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash)Passionate people are more likely to succeed in what they set out to do. They channel their passion into motivation and focus and perceive difficulties as opportunities rather than challenges. Passion ignites a drive that makes them more inclined to spend most of their time working, which leads them to be regarded as highly successful in their field of work.KEEP READING:6 Ways to Slow Down the Aging Process and Stay Sharp and Strong

Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in Yourself
Motivation

Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in Yourself

Parents tend to throw a lot of aphorisms at their kids when they’re trying to encourage them, be they encouraging them to study for a test, learning to ride a bike or drive a car, practice those soccer skills, rehearse a piece for a piano recital, and on it goes. Think things like: “It’s mind over matter!” or “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” and such.Sure, the kids might be annoyed by these and other idioms, but guess what, kid? Your parents are onto something, because according to social cognitive theory, these types of encouraging statements enhance self-efficacy beliefs, and it is just these beliefs that will lead to greater success in life. Health psychology explores self-efficacy theory (among other constructs) and states that your sense of self-efficacy influences your life in almost everything you do; from learning to drive or dribble a ball to advancing through a meaningful, lucrative career, to navigating relationships with others. Give mom and dad a break, hackneyed as some of their expressions may be: they’re only trying to build higher self-efficacy in those they love, because they know your perceived self-efficacy has very real impacts on your life. And that’s true even if your folks have never even defined self-efficacy using the term itself.So, what is the meaning and importance of self-efficacy? Let’s answer that in two parts.What Does Self-Efficacy Mean?Photo by Jason Hogan on UnsplashSelf-efficacy, according to the psychologist who coined the term in the late 1970s, Dr. Albert Bandura, is a person’s beliefs in his or her abilities to accomplish things. Those with high levels of self-efficacy are confident in their capacity to be successful in a range of tasks. These may be in the context of professional or academic self-efficacy, or more personal self-efficacy as in the ability to control one's emotional and physical reactions.For measuring self-efficacy, you can turn to a self-efficacy questionnaire known as the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; sometimes also called the General Self-Efficacy Scale), created by psychologists Ralf Schwarzer and Matthias Jerusalem. It is a type of Causal and Control Beliefs test and this scale of self-efficacy measures just that, one's beliefs about the causal relationship between their behavior and external situations, or how much control they have over external situations. RELATED: The 10 Steps to Confidence That No One Told You AboutThe GSE is a self-report scale consisting of 10 questions, and is easy to complete yourself. Answer the questions with the response that fits you best: 'Not true at all' (1pt), 'Barely true' (2pts), 'Moderately true' (3pts), 'Exactly true' (4pts). To get your results, simply add up the points according to your responses. Scores can range from 10 to 40 and as you might have guessed, the higher your score, the higher your self-efficacy.I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough.If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals.I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events.Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations.I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort.I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions.If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.I can usually handle whatever comes my way.If you scored low on the self-efficacy scale, don't worry. It is not fixed and there are ways to build self-efficacy in one's self. Below, we explore how self-efficacy develops.Why Is Self-Efficacy Important?(Photo by Chander R on Unsplash)To be sure, overconfidence or a lack of true understanding of your knowledge, skills, and abilities can be an issue: a person could be entirely confident he or she could jump across a little creek only to wind up soaking wet, that they could deliver a perfect wedding speech off the cuff only to wind up a rambling mess, or that they could launch a successful business with gumption alone only to end up in financial ruin.RELATED: Here’s Why Passion Is the Key To SuccessOn the other hand, without high self-efficacy, no one would be able to clear the creek let alone become an Olympic long jumper; no one would give a few remarks to a small crowd or take to the stage to perform before thousands; and if no one ever ventured in business, no one would ever gain success.A sense of efficacy in one's self, tempered by a sense of reality, is critical for success, and that’s true in all realms of life, from the professional to the personal to the academic, as we’ll see.How To Develop Self-Efficacy(Photo by Claude Gabriel on Unsplash)What does it mean to be high in self-efficacy? It means you believe you have what it takes to be successful in accomplishing a task. According to Bandura, there are four main sources of self-efficacy: Mastery ExperiencesMastery Experiences are those in which we succeed when facing new challenges. These are believed to be the strongest influences when trying to build self-efficacy due to our direct, personal link to the experience.Vicarious ExperiencesAs the name implies, Vicarious Experiences help enhance self-efficacy through the power of observation. When we see others succeeding or failing at a particular task, we can use this knowledge to adjust our own behavior when attempting that same task.RELATED: Essential Skills for Success: A GuideVerbal PersuasionThis is where a parent, loved one, or mentor can have the most influence. Verbal Persuasion relates to the impact words of encouragement can have on our ability to succeed. Think of coaches hyping up a team before a big game.Physiological ArousalFinally, Physiological Arousal highlights the link between our emotional and physical state, and how it may affect our ability to succeed in completing a task. In other words, feeling tired, stressed, or fearful, will effectively impact your belief in accomplishing whatever it is you're doing.In order to develop self-efficacy, be mindful of the above sources and how they related to you. With time and practice, you can successfully enhance your self-efficacy.Examples Of Self-Efficacy(Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash)Find a very successful person and you will almost always have found a person who believes he or she is capable of success. And this is true, as noted, across the boards.For example, first picture two doctoral candidates about to defend their theses; imagine the students have worked in the same field, have written papers that are quite similar and both quite good, and who are equally bright and capable. Here’s the catch: one of these potential PhDs is fully confident in her abilities, while the other lacks confidence in her own capacity. Which student is going to deliver the better defense?RELATED: The Persona: Why Growth Means Removing The Mask You Show To The WorldThomas Edison once said: “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Who is willing to give all that sweat, AKA effort? A person with sky-high self-efficacy beliefs, that’s who. Confidence quotes like that famous one from Edison tend to come from people who had truly developed their own self-efficacy.And you can see examples of how people with high self-efficacy tend to be successful in the arts, in sports, in politics, and on it goes; a mind and spirit tuned to success tends to lead the body to achievement.Self-Efficacy vs Self-Esteem(Photo by Dr Josiah Sarpong on Unsplash)The primary dictionary definition of the term self-esteem, quite literally from Dictionary.com, is: “a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.” As you can see, nowhere in there is any mention of one’s abilities or aptitude – or the perception thereof, also known as a sense of self-efficacy. Simply put, self-esteem and self-efficacy are not synonymous; they’re not even interdependent.RELATED: 4 Powerful Tactics To Feel Confident When You’re Secretly InexperiencedThere are, in other words, plenty of people with a sense of self-worth or self-love, who know they are good and decent human beings worthy of respect and kindness and fairness, who nonetheless don’t think highly of their abilities to achieve various goals. Having a high self-efficacy can enhance self-esteem, but self-esteem is not a fundamental component of self-efficacy.On the other hand, people with very low self-esteem also tend to have a low sense of self-efficacy. The good news is that the self-efficacy scale is a sliding one, and not just from one person to the next, but within each of us. You can build self-efficacy over time as you face difficult tasks with the most optimistic possible attitude each time, practicing self-regulation over worries and negative thoughts, and believing in yourself as much as you can.With effort, over time you will foster self-efficacy and improve the emotional reactions you have to difficult tasks and challenges, with the happy outcome being genuinely improved results, all because you let your own mind and your own self-efficacy lead the way. In short, a person can let oneself succeed if only they first believe success is the likely outcome.KEEP READING:Motivation: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide

Why Heath Ledger’s Iconic Joker Was Almost Rejected by The Dark Knight’s Director
Actors

Why Heath Ledger’s Iconic Joker Was Almost Rejected by The Dark Knight’s Director

Heath Ledger’s Joker is arguably one of the most memorable performances in American cinema. The character's abrasive nature, unpredictability and terrifying emotion made him a fan favorite almost immediately. What many don’t know is that Ledger initially signed on to be Joker before The Dark Knight was even written and completed. Ledger had enough faith in the team and after seeing what they’d done with Batman Begins, felt confident enough to take on the part. A benefit to his early adoption as the joker was that he was able to incubate the role for quite some time. Ledger spent months cooped up in a hotel room, trying to figure out what his version of the joker would look and sound like. “Heath spent months and months [preparing], we cast him even before the script was written so he had a very long time to obsess about it, think about what he was going to do, to really figure it out,” director Christopher Nolan explains. What Ledger came up with was something no one saw coming, and undoubtedly his role as Joker will be remembered forever. The Voice of Heath Ledger’s Joker Nolan admitted that there was initially a lot of doubt surrounding Joker and the role Ledger would play in bringing him to life. The character was complex, paradoxical and ever-shifting. Ledger had to completely make the character his own but still keep him recognizable to the larger audience. He had to do justice to the original interpretation of the Joker character while reinventing him all at the same time. A key facet to the character ended up being Joker’s unmistakable voice. The eerie and off-putting cadence that turned the character into one of the most unforgettable of his time. (Getty)“In that way he kind of snuck up on it,” Nolan said about Ledger’s Joker voice. “There were moments when you go, ‘Oh, that’s exactly right,’ and there are moments when you go, ‘I hope this is good because I have no idea.’”That unpredictable nature in both Joker’s voice, but his character as a whole ended up being one of the most iconic portrayals in modern cinema. “The voice was certainly scary because it would shift in pitch,” Nolan said. “You never quite know which way the pitch is going to go with the voice. Just as the physical movements were [unpredictable], you didn’t know what he was going to do with his hands, the way he moved, it was always a surprise. The actual tone of his voice was a surprise too. Sometimes threatening and sometimes more sing-song and light.”Nolan also recalls that at first the crew was utterly confused by Ledger’s portrayal. They’d been so used to Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the character that they felt it was forced, unnatural and wouldn’t sell well on screen. After only a few days though, the entire cast and crew were sold. They knew they were witnessing something really special. The Inspiration for Heath’s JokerThere were undoubtedly many different inspirations that Ledger studied for his role as the Joker. He famously absorbed material such as A Clockwork Orange, and also immersed himself in the paintings of artist Francis Bacon to weed out the character he was looking for. It’s reported that Sid Vicious from The Sex Pistols was also an archetype that Ledger used to base his performance off of. (Getty)Many also speculate that Ledger used artist Tom Waits as an inspiration for Joker’s voice. The artist and character have strikingly similar vocal tones and pitches, and many believe Ledger used his voice as one of the main focuses in his preparation for the role, although this hasn’t been confirmed by Nolan or Ledger. The Legacy and Aftermath of Heath Ledger’s Iconic PortrayalIn hindsight, it’s hard to imagine the Joker being played by anyone other than Heath Ledger. The role was honest, forthcoming and undeniably powerful. It’s become a cornerstone of cinema and one of the best villain portrayals of all time. It’s funny to think that the initial casting was met with so much backlash. Even Nolan’s brother, Jonathan Nolan who co-wrote the film was initially baffled by the decision. “Chris had a good meeting with Heath Ledger, and no one got it,” Jonathan Nolan said in an interview. “I didn’t get it. The studio didn’t get it. Everyone was kind of coming at Chris and saying, ‘We don’t see it.’ And the fan community was….we were f*****ng pilloried for,” Nolan added. “’This is a disaster. This is the worst casting decision ever made.’ And Chris just hunkered down and stuck to his guns and just kept moving along.”Surprisingly enough, despite the backlash and initial pushback on Ledger as the Joker, Nolan had initially envisioned him as the next Batman. He’d asked Ledger to consider the part in Batman Begins, however Ledger turned the role down. “’He was quite gracious about it, but he said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film,’” Nolan recalled. However, Ledger later reconsidered after seeing Nolan’s take on superheroes in Batman Begins. “I explained to him what I wanted to do with Batman Begins and I think maybe he felt I achieved it,” Nolan revealed.(Getty)Ledger went on to posthumously win an Academy Award for his performance, undoubtedly well-deserved. Sometimes the greatest characters come from the most unexpected places, and this was such a case. No one expected Ledger, who’d never really played a role as dark and provocative as this one, to forever change the face of villains in superhero films. Ledger’s role is cemented in history, and the work he did to achieve such a balance will also be remembered. The lead-up to the film took a costly role on Ledger’s health, and played a role in his eventual passing. The film-community was shocked by his death, but grateful for his courage and the role he played in delivering one of the best superhero films of all time.