The Positive Side of Failure
Failure is a scary word. Many people are paralyzed by a fear that they will fail – so scared of it that they will shy away from taking a chance in business and in life. What is important to remember though, is that failure takes on whatever meaning you give to it. Failure can be a great teacher and can light a pathway to success.
Here are some surprising famous ‘failures’ that eventually found success.
Albert Einstein, considered as one of the most important scientists of the 20th century and recipient of the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics, was kicked out of school due to poor grades. “Einstein, you will never amount to anything!” proclaimed one of his educators.
Thomas Edison was told by teachers that he was ‘too stupid to learn anything.’ He produced 1,000 unsuccessful attempts before creating the first working light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail so many times, Edison answered, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Michael Jordon, arguably one of the best basketball players in NBA history, was dropped from his high school basketball team due to ‘lack of skill.’
College drop out, Steve Jobs, was fired from his own company (Apple) at the age of thirty. He was eventually hired back and is considered to be responsible for the revival of Apple, the comeback of Mac computers and development of the ridiculously popular iPhone.
Keep in mind that without hardship and failure, we could not fully appreciate the joy of success.
Do you have a story of failure that led to a great success?
Looking forward to hearing your stories of greatness!
Steve
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