In this world it takes dedication and courage in order to make something of yourself. It doesn’t matter what your background is; if you have the desire and you’re willing to put in the work then it’s possible to find success. As Brooker T. Washington said, “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” The following seven men when they started out were average Americans if not disadvantaged and they didn’t let anything get in their way and they were able to form empires.

Ralph Lauren – Ralph grew up in the Bronx. As a child he made ties and sold them to classmates so he could buy nice suits. He knew as a kid he wanted to make and design clothes so he worked for Beau Brumwell Neckwear which allowed him to design and sell his own brand “Polo”. The ties became popular and he started designing women’s and men’s wear and introduced the Polo shirt. Because of his success he started his own company and now has 79 stores across the U.S.

Andrew Carnegie – Carnegie immigrated when he was 13 to the U.S. He had a number of jobs and saved his money. He worked for the Telegraphy Co and invested his savings into railroads and later into steel. Carnegie created a steel and iron empire, but also donated over $350 million to different organizations during his lifetime.

Puff Daddy – Combs was raised in Harlem. He grew up very poor so to earn extra money he decided to be a paper boy but he was too young so he took the routes of older boys and gave them half of his earnings. He went on to intern at Uptown Records and became the executive but was fired in 1993. He formed his own company- Bad Boy Records. Since then he has produced rap records, a clothing line, cologne, restaurant and television series.

Milton S. Hershey – Had a father who had several unsuccessful businesses and his parents divorced. He dropped out of fourth grade and did odd jobs until he became an apprentice to a candymaker. He quit and tried to start several businesses but they failed. He eventually started a caramel factory and sold it for $1 million before starting his chocolate factory.

Ben and Jerry – Ben and Jerry were childhood friends that went on to college but dropped out and then reunited. Neither were doing well professionally so they decided to open an ice cream shop. They paid $5 for a correspondence course on ice cream making. It became a hit and they sold the brand in 2000 for $326 million dollars.

John Sperling – Grew up in a poor sharecropping family. He was Dyslexic and semiliterate when he graduated high school. He served in the military went to college and eventually earned his PhD from Cambridge. He served as a professor but at 53 he decided more needed to be done so he started the University of Phoenix and he’s now a billionaire.

Guy Kawasaki – Grew up in Honolulu to a struggling but hard working family. He graduated from high school went to Stanford and earned his degree in psychology then went to law school but dropped out and entered an MBA program. He sold jewelry but then went to work for Apple. He eventually started Fog City Software, Garage and several other successful companies including Alltop.

These men did not come from money but they made it on their own. Through sheer determination they were able to plan, produce, and sell products or services the public needed or wanted. They devoted much of their lives to their ideas and many failed before they ever succeeded. If you want to be successful then you’re going to need to put in time and effort. And one way to improve your knowledge is by getting an education. Running a company is demanding and challenging so it’s a good idea to get as much knowledge and skills as you can

For many Americans there is a long list of why they quit their job or why they want to. It might be their colleagues, their bosses, the culture in the office or a number of other things. It might even be simple things that add up to drive employees insane. Whatever it is you’re not alone. There are lots of office annoyances that make people dread going to work.

According to Opium a research company that surveyed 1,836 people the most hated office jargon was "thinking outside the box" and "Let's touch base." The problem is that management tries to motivate their employees but they always use the same sayings in order to try and boost morale and make their people more creative. Well the fact is that they aren't a very good example of creativity.

The survey found that management tends to use the same irritating sayings and it drives workers nuts. So if managers want to preach creativity, diligence, organization, and hard work then maybe they should come up with some new sayings.

The top ten list of annoying jargon includes:

1. Think Outside the Box

2. Let's Touch Base

3. Blue Sky Thinking

4. Blamestorming

5. Drill Down to a More Granular Level

6. Lets Not Throw Pies in the Dark

7. I've Got That on My Radar

8. Push the Envelope

9. Bring Your A-Game

10. Get All Your Ducks in a Row

But the survey also found that annoying buzz words are not the only thing that bugs employees. And apparently nearly two-thirds of them had increased stress levels because of office irritations and nearly one in 10 had left a job because of them. So 10 percent have left a job for that reason. Although it seems kind of drastic to leave a job because of that, it really isn't. If you have a job and hate it then it seems like a good idea to find another one. So honestly, I'm surprised that it isn't higher than that. I guessed that it would be around 25% but apparently I was wrong.

As for the overall top ten annoyances they were:

1. Grumpy or Moody Colleagues

2. Slow Computers

3. Small Talk/Gossip in the Office

4. The Use of Office Jargon or Management-Speak

5. People Speaking Loudly on the Phone

6. Too Much Health and Safety in the Work Place

7. Poor Toilet Etiquette

8. People Not Turning Up for a Meeting on Time or at All

9. People Not Tidying Up After Themselves in the Kitchen

10. Too Cold/Cold Air Conditioning

While some of these may be extremely annoying just remember that the job market isn't flourishing right now. So you need to keep your job and your income. Also, try to think of all the good things about the office like your friends, clients, and responsibilities that you would miss if you left the office. Although certain aspects of the job may drive you nuts remember that it isn't really that bad and try to forget these annoyances and think positively.

A new study has shown that health care costs for large companies are likely to increase by 6 percent this year and most companies will also revamping their benefits in order to try and cut costs. So most likely your benefits are going to take a hit. Not only are costs rising but the government is getting even more involved in the health care debate. People want to see some changes in health care but government takeover isn’t the answer. So while everyone debates health care reform, costs will continue to increase.

The survey showed in the next few years that approximately 83 percent of companies surveyed plan on changing their health care plans within the next couple of years. So over four-fifths of companies will be switching or altering plans which most likely means an increase in employee payments and other big changes.

As more and more Americans are barely scraping by the rise in health care expenses is frightening. And many families don't dare go without it. Accidents happen and parents are afraid of what might happen while they're not on it. Or maybe they already have preexisting conditions and they can't afford the treatments without insurance. Those families are going to have to decide whether it's the health insurance or their home.

The study produced by Towers Watson the benefit consultants said that this year's increase in the cost companies pay to administer health plans and pay claims has decreased slightly from 2009's 7 percent hike. The survey questioned more than 500 employers from November through January and each company had over 1,000 employees.

So who's next? Well the fact is that health care is becoming even more expensive because of advances in technology and worsening health among Americans. That's why taking care of your body is so important. Not only will you have a longer life but also a better quality of life.

Health care is something that is a annoying for everyone. People can't really afford to be without it but the costs of coverage are increasing. And most hospitals and doctors are not that wealthy either considering the hours of study and training they go through. Not to mention the fact that they don’t make any money off of Medicaid or Medicare patients. So a government option obviously isn't going to work for the doctors because they won’t be able to pay their insurance and bills.

It seems that whatever the government gets involved in gets screwed up. Like the United States Postal Service I'm pretty sure everyone would be better off if it were privatized. Plus there wouldn't be increases on stamps like every other year. And Medicare and Medicaid are the same way. The more privatization the better off people are. But unfortunately in this day and age the government is increasingly becoming more power hungry and that is ultimately hurting the American people.