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"Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful."
Only some successful people get there on their first try. But these following five individuals didn’t let failure or hardships dictate what they wanted for their future. They triumphed against all odds and proved that you can overcome adversity if you believe in yourself and work hard. These five stories of victory will fuel your confidence and ignite a spark in you to relentlessly pursue your dreams and ambitions until you reach new heights of success.
Michael Jordan
He is considered one of the best basketball players in the world. He played 13 seasons with the Bulls. However, he was cut from the varsity team during his younger years in high school. He was deemed “too short.” So, to prove himself, he played some of his very best basketball for junior varsity that year. He eventually earned a spot on the varsity team and then went on to the NBA. However, his story could have turned out very differently. While being told you aren’t good enough, he could have stopped playing basketball altogether. But the no fueled his desire to get a yes even more.
J.K Rowling
We know her for the bestselling books and movies starring Harry Potter. She is now one of the wealthiest women in England. But you would never guess that she started writing her books on napkins in coffee shops. She called herself as poor as you could get without being homeless, as she had to provide for her daughter as a single parent. Twelve publishers also rejected her books before someone took a chance on them. But she didn’t let the rejection cause her to give up. Harry Potter has brought billions of dollars between the books and movies worldwide, all because she never gave up on her dream. No matter how many odds were stacked against her.
Dr. Suess
I grew up on Dr. Seuss’s books. They are fun, lighthearted, and just plain weird, which makes them all the better. Over 20 publishers rejected the book’s quirky nature at the start. On his way home to burn his manuscript “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” he encountered an old Dartmouth classmate who eventually got his book published by Vanguard Press. After all those rejections, he was ready to give up. But God (I fully believe that) said someone needs to hear your story. Because of that, over 45 books were published, and millions of copies have been sold.
Brock Purdy
What a year for him. He leads his team to the Super Bowl. I added him here because I became invested in his story after hearing it. Brock was picked last in the draft and became known as Mr. Irrelevant. So much pressure was on him because no one believed he would be successful. He had so much to prove. And that could have sent him into a tailspin because they already thought I would fail, so why not let them be right?
But no. He determined, early on, that he would prove them all wrong. That he would no longer be known as Mr. Irrelevant. In true Purdy fashion, he led his team to a Super Bowl in his second season in the league after previously leading his team to the postseason Championship game as a rookie.
Bethany Hamilton
Bethany began surfing from the very beginning. She earned her first sponsorship at age ten. Surfing was her life. Then, on a morning in October of 2003, everything changed. It was like any other day. She was surfing with friends and relaxing on her board in between catching waves. And then she got attacked by a tiger shark that bit off her left arm completely, right below the shoulder. She could have died. Yet, one month later, she was back on her board, determined to figure out how to continue surfing competitively.
And she did. Three months after the attack, she competed in a major competition in January. She could have easily given up. And I don’t think one person would have blamed her. But she refused to give up and let the shark attack determine how people would remember her.
Life has challenges that we must overcome, and it is through these obstacles that we find our true strength and resilience. It’s not just about facing difficulties—it’s about learning from them and growing stronger as a result. By pushing through adversity, we become better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way and are able to overcome any obstacle that comes our way. So embrace the challenges, and let them help you become the best version of yourself.
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