Armed with Vassar College and Yale University drama degrees, 26-year-old Meryl Streep was eager to book her first film role. Federico De Laurentiis — son of the legendary movie producer Dino De Laurentiis — saw the actress onstage and arranged a 1975 audition for her to play the female lead in his father’s “King Kong” remake. When Streep entered the elder De Laurentiis’ office, he turned to Federico and, in Italian, remarked, “Che brutta,” which roughly translates to, “What an ugly woman.” Instead of slinking away, an emboldened Streep acknowledged his disapproval in her own perfect Italian. While she didn’t get the part, other producers embraced her talents, and within five years she had won an Academy Award, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Today, Streep has three Oscar wins and 21 nominations, the most of any performer ever. Here, the acclaimed actress advocates for making decisions based on your insight and instincts, and not letting fear derail the work.

In 218 BCE, during the Second Punic War, the great Carthaginian general Hannibal led his army from modern-day Spain all the way to Italy and toward Rome, in one of the most famous military achievements in history. As the troops neared the daunting peaks of the Alps, Hannibal’s generals warned him they would not be able to cross the mountain range with the horses and elephants they brought with them. Refusing to be deterred, Hannibal responded with the quote above: “Aut inveniam viam aut faciam.” He and his troops forged their own path across the mountains, and continued their march through Italy.