I just finished a biography chronicling the life of Ted Turner.

The man behind CNN is a brilliant visionary. He helped create the cable news industry as we know it.

Turner went through hell at times, a side of his life that not many know about. His father severely beat him and emotionally abused him. In the end, his father decided to commit suicide due to his mental demons.

The billionaire proves that you can move in any direction when faced with adversity. You can become a victim or a victor.

Made adversity a springboard

After enduring severe mental and physical abuse for years and suffering from his father’s suicide, Turner also committed suicide. He was a severely depressed man who experienced the highest ups and the lowest downs.

Instead of sending emails into his life, he was able to transform these energies into a tremendous momentum that created the titan he is today. He turned his obstacles into rungs.

He is confident and brash

Turner didn’t care what anyone else said or thought. He was a maniac to achieve his goals and he wasn’t afraid to tell people what he was going to do before he did it.

Some might call his attitude arrogance, others a level of supreme confidence. To achieve billionaire status, you must believe in yourself so deeply that you ignore anyone or anything that suggests you can’t become world famous. Some may develop their thick skin in a more humble way, but I can’t argue with their results.

He is always innovating

Do you realize how billionaires constantly come up with ideas to change the world? That’s why they are billionaires; they are less concerned about money and more concerned about creating.

Turner has owned the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks, and is frequently involved in environmental causes. Grass does not grow under his feet.

I enjoy reading about the lives of successful people before they “made it.” As my girlfriend noted, the general public sees successful people as a different species, but many of these people had to experience trials and tribulations like each of us, or in many cases worse. Ted Turner’s biography mentioned Abraham Lincoln and a handful of other creative geniuses who were probably severe manic depressives like TT.