"If You've Never Failed, You've Never Lived", or Try and Try Again

This is a wonderful motivational video about some well known and well loved people who initially failed  (or were rejected) and then went on to become very successful in spite of the odds against them. You might be surprised at some of the people mentioned. But there are others, too numerous to include in the video,  so I thought I would add a few more:

It took a middle-aged Colonel Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame) 1,009 times before he was finally able to sell his soon-to-be famous recipe.

12 publishers rejected JK Rowling's original manuscript for Harry Potter.

Stephen King's first book "Carrie" was rejected 30 times.

Here's a list of more successes from initial failures. And some more.

All of these people had drive, and obviously a very strong belief in themselves refusing to take no for an answer.  The failure more than likely inspired them to try even harder.  And the difference between someone who eventually succeeds and someone who fails is his/her ability to not succumb to the negativity generated by a person telling them they aren't interested or good enough for whatever it is they are trying to achieve. There are those who will just give up, and those who will say "I'll show them."

I remember being told by a counselor in college, after taking a bunch of vocational and personality tests, that I would never graduate so it didn't matter what classes I took. Four years later I went in search of this fool, College Degree (Cum Laude) in hand, but unfortunately he was no longer there.  Not surprising, of course, but I easily could have bought into that thoughtform and just not bothered. I am fortunate that I am one who does not give up.

The end of the video has an interesting quote:

Life = Risk

And it's so very true.  If you don't take risks you will never know if  you will succeed.  There's a great saying in Spanish: "el que no ariesga un huevo, no tiene (saca) un pollo." Literal translation, he who doesn't risk an egg, won't get a chicken."  Or, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." In other words, had Colonel Sanders given up before the 1,009th time, we wouldn't have Kentucky Fried Chicken.

So, keep on trying. If you have faith and it's meant to be,  it will eventually happen.  But you certainly won't know unless you try.