The Rock’s about as prolific as one man can get inside the short lifetime we’re all given on this planet. He’s the ultimate example of how taking massive tons of action and always being yourself (who you really are deep down in your soul) can propel you to the upper strata in life. Turns out, he has some pretty awesome rules for success he wants you to follow.
With several blockbusters under his belt now as an actor, and several more set to release in the next three years, including a stint playing Mitch Buchannon in a Baywatch movie remake, Dwayne Johnson’s star has officially arrived in the same full-blazing fashion his wrestling career did.
The man’s awesome, worthy of as much respect as any other businessman or woman on the planet.
Here’s what he feels are the 10 most important character traits needed to become a success in whatever field you may choose to pursue:
1. Be a trailblazer
Dwayne discovered while playing football that being a trailblazer and working hard to “change how the game was played” instilled a lot of pride in he and his team members.
Surely, the intimidation and grand-standing practice he got there helped to develop The Rock’s persona later on.
2. Know what you want
The Rock decided at 8 years old that he wanted to be an entertainer.
Scroll to the video embedded below and you’ll see that he was willing to do whatever it took to get his face (and body) in front of the public eye, including doing some pretty embarrassing commercials!
“Have faith,” Dwayne says, “It’s gonna be alright.” “On the other side of your pain is something good.”
3. Be yourself
One of Dwayne’s most important rules for success.
His character, The Rock (called “Rocky” early on), was initially booed incessantly every time he fought a match. Dwayne, being a branding-master-in-training, realized it wasn’t himself that the audience didn’t like — it was that he wasn’t truly being himself while trying to entertain them.
He made an impassioned speech to the audience and exposed himself (his emotions) and Rocky died at that moment, giving birth the The Rock; a character that would take over the WWE as a top biller within weeks.
4. Find the right balance
This advice from Dwayne is simple: Try to only do things you love, even if you have to do some crappy stuff now and again.
What a concept, but it’s echoed by all the greats, so it is possible.
“Your not the first to go through it, you won’t be the last to go through it.”
5. Have an incredible work ethic
When he’s shooting a movie, he only sleeps five hours a night.
Four hours before he’s due on the set, he’s up “clanging and banging” — working out twice and eating a meal or two.
Dwayne does a full weight workout, eats, then hits the cardio to keep his amazing body in the best shape possible for his fans — all hours before most people in the world get up.
6. Follow your heart
Dwayne understands that the only way to feel fulfilled and avoid depression in life is to go where your heart wants to go.
He wants people to understand that none of us are alone when it comes to feeling bummed out at times. He became depressed after being cut from the CFL football team, the Calgary Stampeders.
After spending a month couped up in his apartment, the head coach called him and asked him to come back. Rather than acting out of desperation, he turned the coach down, telling him that he didn’t feel the sport was part of his path anymore.
Rock’s dad said this to him after hearing Rock’s decision to not continue with football:
“This is the worst mistake you’ll ever make in your life. You’re ruining your career.”
7. Work on yourself
In order to be the top-billed actor he is today, Dwayne knew he had to become the ultimate master of his craft, working in every genre he could get in front of a camera for.
While this might seem foolhardy to many of you who know him for his action films, just take a look at how he’s equally bank-able in a Disney movie like The Race to Witch Mountain, or the up-coming Jumanji remake as he is in the Fast and Furious franchise and other adult films like Faster.
8. Swing away
Another simple concept. Keep grinding away, getting your “butt” kicked, and keep on moving forward.
“Get your a$$ kicked, get back up, put the gloves back on and keep swinging away.”
9. See the potential in others
The Rock credits a tough-guy teacher he met in high school for seeing something in him, despite the fact that Dwayne had a huge chip on his shoulder and had been arrested many times before meeting this teacher named Jody Swick.
Swick saw potential and gave Dwayne a pass on something he’d done to wrong the man the day before. Sometimes, taking a chance on people turns out to be one of those life-defining moments that completely changes the path you’re on — for the better! This moment started Dwayne to the first phase of his career (football).
10. Have fun
Even the elite deserve to have fun in life. Mix the two together and you’ll die with a smile on your face. Watch the vid below and you’ll see that Dwayne loves to play the prankster in life as much as he loves to play a tough guy in his movies.
“My April fools runs the entire year.”
