“Not everyone who works hard is rewarded, however all those who succeed have worked hard!”
-Kamogawa
Ok, it’s not quite a movie; it’s anime, but it’s my favorite one. Hajime no Ippo or “The First Step,” is a story about ascending rank in the world of professional boxing. Like many works of fiction, the hero, Ippo in this case, is endowed with a unique gift. He is able to sustain an extraordinary amount of damage to punches before going down, certainly a useful attribute in boxing, but hardly the be-all and end-all. At the same time, he is constrained by a short arm reach, a handicap that he must compensate for throughout his pugilistic career.
His ability as a boxer does not develop spontaneously and effortlessly, but through hard work, thoughtful guidance, and dogged determination. Though he is unique, so are many of his rivals who show fortes in speed, endurance, footwork, or even just an unusually long arm reach. One of the most interesting aspects of the anime is the exploration of his competitor’s own struggles, how they too must play to their strengths while shoring up their own deficiencies.
It is the ultimate story in dispossessing your excuses for failure. You will see that in fact there is nothing especially salient about Ippo, as the main storyline could have followed any one of the other boxers he goes up against. We each have our own gifts and our own shortcomings. The difference between those who succeed and those who do not boils down to not only the proper identification of your talents, but also your willingness to practice and persevere in the face of formidable competition. Do not be discouraged, because every rung that you climb on the ladder of life is another rung that you can now put behind you.
Watch the anime. You will love it.
If you liked this, you might also like:
Inspirational Movies – Yes Man
Inspirational Movies – GATTACA
Inspirational Movies – Katy Perry: Part of Me
Choose to Take the Journey 
I notice only a few succeed without hardwork, people who win lotteries, or come into inheritance. Such people however lack the wisdom that those that amassed success through hardwork have, and thus they are highly likely to lose that success as easily as they came by it.
Exactly. Sounds just like my Katy Perry post ;)