Before we start to breakdown techniques and methods we use to reach goals that seem unattainable, lets look at some of the hurdles and adversities that some of the most famous well known and respected historical figures, actors, athletes and musicians may have faced.
1. Albert Einstein
Einstein as a child didn’t speak at all for the first few years of his life. His teachers all thought he was lazy because he was always seemed distracted. He was able to rise above such negativity and developed the theory of relativity.
3. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey dropped out of school at a young age to support his family. Soon after, he and his family were living in a van. Despite these challenges, however, Carrey did not give up. continued to follow his dream of becoming a comedian. As we all know, he was successful in his endeavors.
4. Thomas Edison
Edison failed somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times before he invented the light bulb. Can you imagine failing at something 10,000 times? Instead of quitting, however, Edison tried and tried again until he achieved success. That kind of dedication is nothing short of extraordinary.
5. Stephen King
Did you know that the book written , Carrie, was rejected by thirty different publishers. He was so upset that he threw the novel in the trash, until his wife later fished it out and encouraged him to finish it. King’s books have now sold over 350 million copies, and Carrie has become a classic novel with many film and TV adaptations to its name. King’s story shows that sometimes people just need a little bit of encouragement to overcome the obstacles in their lives.
6. Benjamin Franklin
When Franklin was ten-years-old, his parents could no longer afford to send him to school. However, financial concerns couldn’t stop him from pursuing an education. Through reading, he was able to educate himself, and the fruits of his knowledge include the lightning rod and bifocals.
7. Bethany Hamilton
At just thirteen years old, Hamilton had her left arm bitten off by a shark during a surfing accident. Instead of admitting defeat, she went back to her surfboard one month later and continued to practice. Two years later, she was able to win first place in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships. If that isn’t overcoming a difficult obstacle, I don’t know what is!
8. Walt Disney
Walt Disney was canned from his very first job at the Kansas City Star after his newspaper editor told him that he didn’t have enough imagination or creativity. A few years later, he drove Disney’s animation studio, Laugh-O-Gram, into bankruptcy. Only when he moved to California to produce cartoons did his career ultimately take off. Walt Disney’s determination to meet his goals is a great example of overcoming life’s obstacles.
From the pages of a book or on a television screen, these and other inspiring people may seem unreal at times. Simply reading about Thomas Edison’s failures or watching the film version of Bethany Hamilton’s story could never do the actual people justice. However, there are many lessons we can learn from people who overcame adversity like Thomas Edison and Bethany Hamilton. They were real people who faced very real challenges. Overcoming obstacles is something that everyone in life must learn how to do. How do you think these people became so famous? They were able to conquer the mountains that stood in their way, and you can too.
Here are some Famous musicians that never gave in and finally saw the rewards:
The 1975 – band were rejected by every record label before they signed to Polydor/ indie Dirty Hit records
Madonna – “The direction is a good one, in my opinion. The only thing missing from this project is material.” That’s what music industry head Jimmy Lenner wrote to Madonna after hearing her demo tape and saying no.
Ed Sheeran – Ed was rejected by record labels as he was “slightly chubby and ginger”, and that wasn’t a good “marketing tool” for them.
Linkin Park – This band played more than 50 showcases for different record labels before Warner, who had previously passed, signed the band.
Kanye West – Passed on by every record label, prior to being signed to Def Jam. Even they saw him as primarily a producer, not a solo artist.
Lady Gaga – LA Reid , the head of Deaf Jam had signed Lady Gaga to the label many years before she became a major force and sold millions of albums. Before she released any music with LA Reid’s label, he let her go from the label . He’s has since described that as “the biggest mistake” of his career.
Missy Elliott –Before she sold millions of records and was the inspiration of a generation of R&B , Missy was told she was “too fat” to be a successful singer by a few label executives.”
Excerpt From
When Ceilings Become Floors: SECRETS ON HOW TO “LEVEL UP” FROM MENTORS AND BUSINESS LEADERS (not released)