Conventional wisdom has it that ‘other people’ are responsible for inspiring and motivating us. These ‘other people’ are usually considered to be our leaders. Why is this so? Why can we not take this  responsibility on ourselves? If we look around, there are inspiring stories everywhere – in politics, sports, entertainment and even social work. Example abound of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, even when they have come from very humble backgrounds. Take a few examples from the news these days: the new Indonesian president – born in a river side slum. Or the Indian PM who swept the floor of a teashop. Or Marina Silva, a losing presidential candidate in Brazil who was born in the Amazon forest and learned to read and write at the age of 16. We have everything going for us yet only focus on what we do not have.<\/p>