How was Ben successful in his life?

By becoming a neurosurgeon

He learnt better (i.e. he began to wear glasses, he found an imagination, he studied). He also learnt to control his anger.

He achieved things at school

He set goals and reached them

By being able to do operations that others couldn’t, or have never been done before.

What did he have to do to achieve this success?

Set some goals

Study and learn all the time

He had to believe in himself

He recognised his SMARTS – how he learnt best and that was not by listening to lectures.

He had to attend university and pass his classes/tests.

In what ways was his mother successful?

By learning to read as an adult

By using what she was good at to earn money (cooking, cleaning, baby sitting)

By telling her sons they could do anything others could do – but they could be even better.

By always encouraging her sons even when they were older and had their own families!