Always Fail Forward
The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. Here are some examples of those who failed only to become a huge success later.
- Sigmund Freud was booed off the stage the first time he presented his theories to a group of scientists in Europe. He went on to win the Goethe Award for his work in psychology.
- Winston Churchill failed sixth grade and lost every public election he ran for until he was elected Prime Minister of England at the age of 62.
- Albert Einstein didn’t speak until he was 4 years old, couldn’t read basic words until he was 7 and was expelled from school. He eventually revolutionized physics with his Theory of Relativity.
- Henry Ford failed at farming, at being an apprentice and as a machinist, and went bankrupt five times. He modernized mass production.
- Stan Smith was rejected as a ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was “too clumsy.” He won eight Davis Cup championships and is considered one of the greatest doubles tennis players of all time.
- Charles Schultz had every cartoon rejected that he submitted to his high school yearbook. He was rejected by Walt Disney. He went on to create the most popular cartoon series ever--Peanuts.
- Van Gogh only sold one painting his entire life—to a friend’s sister for about $50. He painted over 800 masterpieces, seven of which are cumulatively worth almost $1 billion.
- Leo Tolstoy flunked out of law school and was labeled “unable to learn” by his professors. He went on to become one of the world’s greatest novelists.
- John Creasey failed as a salesman, a desk clerk, a factory worker and an aspiring writer, getting 754 rejection notices from publishers. He wrote more than 600 novels and is considered one of the greatest mystery writers ever.
- Hank Aaron failed tryouts with the Brooklyn Dodgers and went 0-5 in his first game in the majors. He went on to set the MLB record for home runs and held that record for 33 years.
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