There’s always been the inquiry as to whether successful people have had to work hard to get to that pedestal on which they stand or if they have been on deck to begin with. Some people come from lots of success, lots of money, and sometimes-if you’re really lucky- a pile of Louis Vuitton bags and purses that are probably being used as party favors. Others have had to toil their way to their goals and sometimes even end up spending years just to get to where others have been since the second they were born.

Your childhood can have a significant influence on the person you become as you grow up. Different people come from different backgrounds, but how do these backgrounds affect them going forward in the future, and how do they make an impact on their success today?

I talked to a few staff members here at Page about their childhood and the work they had to put in to get to where they are now.

When I asked Officer Rdhill if he had a difficult childhood, he answered “Yes, I went through some things that were pretty rough.” Officer Rdhill grew up in a harsh home life. He was the oldest of 4, so he was kind of expected to take care of his siblings and keep everyone in place. Rdhill originally lived with his grandmother, but when she passed, he moved in with his mom. When asked if he thinks his childhood has affected him today, he answered “I honestly think it molded me into the person I am.” He also mentioned how he thinks it helped him become a better person. “I knew what it was to go through certain things and to be grateful and to help others.” Officer Rdhill said that he wouldn’t change how he grew up at all.

I also interviewed Mrs. Bell, whose childhood home life differed from Officer Rdhill’s. Mrs. Bell grew up with both parents in the house and she was the youngest of 7. “We were very active, and my dad was even in the military, so we travelled a lot.” Having 7 kids, Mrs. Bell’s parents taught their kids about responsibility through chores, even with basic housecleaning. “I think it gave us a good work ethic,” she said. Mrs. Bell talked about how she thinks her childhood taught her what it means to work hard. “When I work hard, I always have to have a plan, and I take it very seriously.”

Both of these staff members here at Page didn’t come from a lot, but have still managed to build a wonderful and secure life for themselves. It was very clear that the two have each learned accommodating lessons from their childhood that have helped shape them into who they are today.

So- does growing up in a big fancy house with a butler waiting on you hand and foot really put you higher up on the totem pole? Maybe, but sources say that most people who grow up in a difficult environment are actually more likely to be successful than those from a wealthier background. Most of the time difficult childhoods fuel great achievements and success. UExpress says “The researchers concluded that the need to compensate for disadvantages was a major factor in the drive toward personal achievement.” Most famous and successful people are in the position they’re in because what they went through as a child vitalized them to live a life completely different than what they came from. UExpress also talks about how people who came from wealth weren’t as motivated to be victorious and successful because that was all they’d ever known. Success is not only driven by having goals and putting in effort to meet said goals, but it’s also driven by a desire to live a life you’re not used to. It’s driven by an inclination to be great and to be something you never got the chance to be.

So in conclusion, success can come from any background, but different backgrounds motivate different people on different elevations.