Discouraged by Your Failures, Consider This…
Henry Ford’s first two car companies failed and he was broke many times before succeeding.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” — — Henry Ford
R.H. Macy had seven failed business before the successful Macy’s store in New York City.
Theodor Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, had his first book for kids rejected 27 times before it was finally published in 1937.
In 1947 Marilyn Monroe lost her job with 20th Century Fox because her producer thought she was unattractive and short on acting skills. Luckily she didn’t let that stop her
In Fred Astaire’s first screen test, the testing director of MGM wrote down, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”
Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”
Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip had every cartoon he submitted to his high school yearbook rejected by the staff.
After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?”
Poitier did in fact do many menial tasks in his first months in New York, where he was homeless and sleeping in bus terminal toilets.
Cut from his High School Varsity basketball team, Michael Jordan would often comment on failure and success:
I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan
It can be hard to hang on to your dreams and goals and I like to hear stories and quotes from real people who persevered. If you liked these stories, you’ll find more in the audiobook, Quotes for Achievement: Quotations, Stories and Advice from Great Achievers in Sports, Politics, Business and Life.
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