When we look at successful people, we view them as unsusceptible to major bumps in the road; we imagine that failure is unfamiliar territory to them. The truth, however, is that many public figures are very familiar with setbacks: Their successes are actually the result of their incredible persistence in spite of their pitfalls. Take a look at the inspiring stories below.
J.K. Rowling
Can you imagine growing up without Harry Potter? A whopping 12 publishers rejected the first book in Rowling’s series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, before it was finally accepted by Bloomsbury: The company’s editor had a daughter who fell in love with the first few pages of the manuscript, convincing the editor to accept the submission. The Harry Potter books are now the best-selling book series in history with over 450 million copies sold worldwide.
As for the brilliant Rowling, who had previously been struggling to support herself and her daughter on welfare, she has a net worth of over $1 billion as of 2014.
Walt Disney
Walt Disney was fired from his job at the Kansas City Star newspaper for “lacking imagination and having no good ideas.” With 22 Academy Awards, 7 Emmy Awards and a monopoly on all our childhoods, Disney rose above criticism as the founder and cultural icon of a multi-billion dollar entertainment empire–even after his death in 1966.
Beyonce
Fans who have watched the beginning of the ***Flawless video know that Beyonce didn’t always wake up like dis. In 1993, she performed as part of a female act, Girls Tyme, in a talent competition called Star Search and lost to metal band Skeleton Crew. The Crazy in Love singer reportedly said that facing Skeleton Crew helped her realize that “you could actually work super hard and give everything you have and lose.”
About 178 million sold records and 20 Grammy Awards later, we all know that #thequeen is winning now.
Steven Spielberg
The film genius who brought us Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and other renowned, popular movies was rejected from USC film school not once, but twice.
He was once reported to have said, “The thing that I’m scared to death of is that someday I’m going to wake up and bore somebody with a film.”
As the highest-grossing director in history with $9 billion in gross profit worldwide, as a result of his films, that seems highly unlikely.
Oprah
In her Harvard Class of 2013 Commencement speech, Oprah said, “If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.”
She would know: The renowned talk show host with a net worth of $3.1 billion was fired from her first job as a TV reporter because she was too emotional and “unfit for TV.”
The next time you fail, remember that failures do not dictate your future: They’re an opportunity, so turn your mistake into a learning experience and power past it because your next success could be right around the corner.
