Robert Downey, Jr.: Iron Sharpens Iron

Iron Sharpens Iron
In the 1970's, Robert Downey, Sr. began casting his son, Robert Downey, Jr., in his films.  In the video below, Downey Jr. explains how his father made him a man by refusing to help him.  Downey Sr. understood that helping his son would only hurt him in the long-run.  This forced Jr. to make something out of himself as opposed to relying on people.

What person, in your life, have you blamed for refusing to help you? Thank that person, instead of enabling you to be lazy and insufficient, they were attempting to prepare you for the real world.  Are you helping someone too much? As uncomfortable as it may be, if you truly care about the individual, you will help them less in order for them to learn how to support themselves.

Keeping Marvel On Their Toes
As Robert Downey Jr. continues to raise the bar he forces Marvel and Disney to continue to have to pay him top dollars.  Downey made $75 million between the Iron Man and Avengers films.  Thanks to his role in Iron Man 3, the film generated over $1 billion.  Downey also played a major role in making The Avengers the third highest-grossing film of all time.  This is the same Marvel that never pays individuals what they are worth.  Instead, Marvel promises multiple movies: Chris Evans (Captain America) and Samuel L. Jackson (Ultimate Nick Fury) were both offered nine-film deals.

When you perform at a level of greatness that no one can deny, the negotiations tend to go your way.  Instead of worrying about how a company, like Marvel, will compensate you, worry about performing at a level that gives that company no choice but to give you top-dollar.  What do you bring to the table that nobody else can? What do you do best? Exploit your strengths and convince yourself that worrying about being fairly compensated is a sign of weakness.  Perform.  Everything else will take care of itself.

New York State of Mind
Downey was born in Manhattan and grew up in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan).  At one point Robert Downey Jr.'s career was at a crossroads.  He was fired from Saturday Night Live in 1985, he has struggled with substances abuse and in 1996 Downey was arrested and forced to take drug test.  He attempted to reinvent himself through his role in Ally McBeal yet he was fired following further issues with substance abuse.  New York is a place that offers great opportunities yet the city also presents numerous challenges.  Downey was surrounded by drugs in New York and his father suffered from addiction.  Robert Downey, Sr. allowed his son to use marijuana when he was six years old.

Downey's ancestry includes Lithuanian Jewish, Irish, Hungarian, Scottish, German and Swiss.  Many of Downey's ancestors passed through Ellis Island determined to do anything necessary for a better life.  Robert Downey Jr. inherited the strength shown by his ancestors.  The inspiration that Downey's ancestors had is the inspiration that he used in order to defeat his drug addiction and deliver multiple brilliant performances as the Iron Man.  Downey survived New York City in the 1970's/80's...As Mark Twain states, "Make your mark in New York and you are a made man."

Victory.