If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
In fact, the most successful and famous people in the world, have endured the most failures in life, Even they have failed repeatedly. But they have also gotten back up. They didn’t call it quits, or head for the ropes. They got up and kept going, And that is what it takes to succeed.
Here are 10 famous failures to success stories, around the world, that will inspire you to keep going, and achieve greatness.
1. Colonel Harland Sanders.
Colonel Harland Sanders was a serial failure, he tried to start several companies, and also fired from number of jobs. His wife even left him at one point, because he was always trying to get rich quickly.
While in his 40's, Sanders started cafe on a major highway, but his business died, after a new highway was built, taking his customers with it. At the age of 65, he found himself very poor, and decided to take his chicken recipe on the road.
He would cook his fried chicken on the spot, for restaurant owners, to convince them to sell his chicken. He heard "1000 no's", before he heard his first "yes".
By 1964, Colonel Sanders had 600 franchises, selling his trademark chicken. Then he sold his company for $2 million.
2. Charlie Chaplin.
Charlie Chaplin became a king of comedy, though, he had to undergo great struggles, in the initial stages of his career, due to acute poverty, and lack of parental support. He built up his career independently, and charted a new course, even though he lacked any formal training. His rags to riches story, will definitely inspire you to achieve success, by overcoming all obstacles.
He received a 12-minute standing ovation from the audience, which is still the longest standing ovation in oscar history.
3. Walt Disney.
You can’t think about Disney, without thinking about the magic it brings into the world. But sometimes, creating even the most magical things has its setbacks.
Walt Disney was one of the world’s most famous failure. According to The Wisdom of Oz, when Disney was only 22 years old, he was fired from his job, at a newspaper by an editor, who said, "he lacked imagination, and had no good ideas.”
After getting fired, he acquired Laugh-O-Gram, his first animation studio, which eventually went bankrupt. With only $40 in his pocket, he set out to Los Angeles only to realize that, Hollywood didn’t have any animation studios. This eventually led to the creation of Mickey Mouse, and the rest is history. Today, Walt Disney Company is worth $95.79 billion, and has won countless awards. Despite his death in 1966, Walt Disney’s legacy continues to live on.
This famous failure teaches us that, despite the failures you experience in life, your creation can continue to be a roaring success, long after you’re gone.
4. Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg was rejected, from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film, and Television for three times.
He eventually attended another school, only to drop out, and become a director before finishing.
Thirty-five years after starting his degree, He returned to school in 2002, to finally complete his work and earn his BA.
Ultimately, Spielberg refused to give up, even after that major failure. He could have called it quits, but he refused to do so. He pushed forward, and because of it, we have some incredible blockbuster movies, such as Schindler’s List, The Color Purple, Artificial Intelligence, Avatar, and so many more.
5. Oprah Winfrey.
Winfrey says she was sexually molested by her cousin, her uncle, and a family friend. At the age of 13 years old, she ran away from home, At 14-years old, she was pregnant, and gave birth to premature baby, that died shortly after birth.
In 1983, at the age of 29-years old, she relocated to Chicago, and took over a fledgling show called, AM Chicago, which would ultimately become the Oprah Winfrey Show, It became the highest ranked talk show in Chicago. Today, she is a billionaire, and had a major impact on a large part of world.
Famous failures like Oprah’s teach you that, it doesn’t matter where you start. As long as you work hard, and don’t give up, you can continue to achieve bigger successes. Because of it, she reached international fame, and is known around the world as a household name.
6. Abraham Lincoln.
Failing in business in 1831, suffering a nervous breakdown in 1836, defeated in his run for president in 1856, Abraham Lincoln was no stranger to rejection and failure. Rather than taking these signs as a motivation for surrender, he refused to stop trying his best.
Lincoln was elected in 1861, as the 16th President of the United States of America.
The amount of rejection you receive, is not a defining factor. Success is still within your reach. His face also appears on the U.S. five-dollar bill.
7. Henry Ford.
Known today as a business magnate, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur, Henry Ford actually failed several times.
Henry Ford is one of the most renowned entrepreneurs in history. He optimized transportation, and forever changed the United States automobile industry. His innovative manufacturing process, produced low-cost, reliable vehicles, while simultaneously keeping his workers well-paid, and loyal.
Before his success, Ford encountered failure during initial production of his first automobile. His investors got cold feet over Ford’s Skills, and he was unable to find solid financial backing, for the automobile in his first two ventures. Nevertheless, Ford used the lessons from these failures, to instruct his future success, as an inventor, and a businessman.
8. Jim Carrey.
When we think of funnyman Jim Carrey, we imagine his big smile, and wacky impersonations. These things shot him to the top, as an actor. But his life did not start out with smiles and success. While he suffered through major failure along the way, Carrey’s fame is now much talked about, around the world.
9. J.K. Rowling.
Before the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was clinically depressed.
Once the first three chapters were completed, Rowling enthusiastically submitted it to several publishers. Twelve rejected it. The thirteenth gave her the thumbs up, she assume the pen name J.K. Rowling.
In less than ten years from the publishing of her first novel, Rowling had amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune, and had become the most successful literary author of all time.
10. Robert T. Kiyosaki.
Yet before all that fame, Kiyosaki faced a number of failures along the way. His road to fame and wealth was, wrought with a number of setbacks and defeats. In 1977, at the age of 30-years old, Kiyosaki started a company that sold surfer’s wallets, with nylon and velcro, but failed to intellectually protect the products. Facing stiff competition, that company eventually went bankrupt.
However, it wasn’t until 1997, at the age of 50, when he penned the "Rich Dad Poor Dad book", Personal finance book of all time, — Robert Kiyosaki has challenged and changed the way, tens of millions of people around the world think about money. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor, who believes the world needs more entrepreneurs, who will create jobs.
Comments
Post a Comment