Over the next couple weeks, I’m going to start writing about inspirational celebrities that have either inspired me or have a positive message that some may not know of. I want to focus on their off camera attitudes which is one of the reasons why they have become so successful and catapulted them beyond the 15 minutes of fame hole that some D-List celebrities get trapped in.

Todays Celebrity: Conan O’Brien

When you think of the name Conan O’Brien, you instantly relate the name with terms such as: comedian, goofy, crazy, nutty, funny….. or at least I do. I have always been a huge Conan fan because of his willingness to take risks. Sometimes you question his comedy tactics and the phrase “What is he doing?” pops in your head, but that’s what makes him unique and why I keep coming back.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write about this, but as he uses Television as a way to spread a message, it’s my hope to use Monsters vs Me to spread a positive message to others as well.

I made sure to catch Conan’s final show as the host of The Tonight Show and his final speech blew me away.

Watch the video below first:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isfHFfI81xU

What a classy man. Who knew that a person who I previously classified as: goofy, crazy, nutty, funny, could have such a serious and sincere side to him. Amongst all the drama that had went on over the previous couple months between Conan and NBC, he still managed to thank the company that gave him the opportunity to live out his dream. He did it. He was the host of The Tonight Show. It probably didn’t last as long as he thought it would, but it didn’t matter to him. He was grateful for the 7 months he had.

“Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solves each problem as they came to it. They helped themselves. And they were helped through powers known and unknown to them at the time they set out on their voyage. They keep going regardless of the obstacles they met.” – W. Clement Stone

Conan wasn’t furious that he was to leave The Tonight Show and as the above quote says, he was looking forward to his next venture. Even if it was a show in a 7/11 parking lot. I envy Conan for focusing on the positives of his life rather than dwelling on the negatives. “I have had more good fortune than anybody I know” says Conan. This is why he has been so successful. One of the biggest messages I try and pass on to people, is that there is no point in constantly bringing up the negative parts of your life. The formula is simple: Negative Thoughts = Negative Results vs. Positive Thoughts = Positive Results.

He never forgets how he got there and who helped him reach his level of success. Conan is well known for always thinking of his staff first and taking care of their needs. As in the video, he is extremely appreciative and constantly thanks the people around him. Conan is a model of something I always talk about and previously wrote about: Having an Attitude of Gratitude. (You can read my post here: Live your life with an attitude of gratitude. Start by saying Thank You)

Out of his entire farewell speech, it was the last part of it that really stuck with me.

“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you, amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien

I couldn’t have said it better myself. This is the exact mould that all successful celebrities follow to keep them from the 15-minutes of fame trap. With sites like YouTube and advancements in social media, it’s getting easier and easier everyday to be an overnight success, but the task of keeping that success for years is still attributed to hard work and a desire to succeed. The message that Conan is giving, is to never give up. Just because you don’t have the success you want now, keep going. I also truly believe that hard work will pay off. I admire Conan for his honesty and the respect he gives to his fans. As a message he says to his fans: “You made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. So to all the people watching, I can never ever thank you enough for the kindness to me. I’ll think about it for the rest of my life”.

Conan may never read this but that doesn’t matter. This post was meant to spread inspiration to others but regardless I would love to give a message to Conan,

Thank you for continually inspiring me to follow my dreams and giving me the confidence to know that one day I’ll be there. If one day our paths shall cross, I owe you a giant hand shake to let you know that you have a part in motivating me to never give up and that the reason we do meet is associated with hard work. Thank you.

Next Week’s Inspirational Celebrity: Will Smith

This is a gnarly way of looking at his final speech through typography. Graphic Design geeks, prepared to be as amazed as I was.