Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He was defeated in every public office role he ran for. Then he became the British prime minister at the age of 62.
Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was "too stupid to learn anything." Edison also famously invented 1,000 light bulbs before creating one that worked.
Harland David Sanders, the famous KFC "Colonel," couldn't sell his chicken. Hundreds of restaurants did not accept his recipe. But then one did, and today there are KFC restaurants bearing his image all over the world.
Marilyn Monroe's first contract with Columbia Pictures expired because they told her she wasn't pretty or talented enough to be an actress. Monroe kept plugging away and is one of the most iconic actresses and sex symbols of all time.
Albert Einstein didn't speak until age four and didn't read until age seven. His teachers labeled him "slow" and "mentally handicapped." But Einstein just had a different way of thinking. He later won the Nobel prize in physics.
Oprah Winfrey was fired from her television reporting job because they told her she wasn't fit to be on screen. But Winfrey rebounded and became the undisputed queen of television talk shows. She's also a billionaire.
Sometimes the burliest critic can be your own uncertainty and lack of conviction. You fail to believe in your own abilities and capacity to achieve what you desire. What do you want your life to be like in 5 years, 10 years? What do you want to be remembered for in your eulogy? If you are aflame with a dream that is burning in your mind, nothing and no one can prevent you from reaching it.
The message from these stories is clear and strong: never give up on your dreams. At times roadblocks appear and a dense fog of uncertainty impedes your vision. Always remember, failure is not fatal or final. It is a necessary component of life's learning journey. With patience, persistence, and dogged determination, you can achieve anything you are capable of dreaming!