Skip to main content

Famous Failures



            While pointing out how failure often precedes success, a recent newspaper article noted that…

1.    Harland David Sanders (1890-1980), the famous KFC 'Colonel,' had more than 1,000 restaurants reject him and his chicken recipe before he found one that would give him a chance.

2.    Theodor Seuss Geisel's (1904-1991) first book was rejected by 27 different publishers. He's now one of the most popular children's book authors ever.

3.    Thomas Edison's (1847-1931) teachers told him he was 'too stupid to learn anything.' He also famously invented 1,000 light bulbs before creating one that worked.

4.    Walt Disney (1901-1966) was fired by a newspaper editor because he 'lacked imagination and had no good ideas.' Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Today, most childhoods wouldn't be the same without his ideas.

5.    Oprah Winfrey (1954-) 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.

6.    Henry Ford's (1863-1947) first auto company went out of business. He abandoned a second because of a fight and a third went downhill because of declining sales.  He went on to become one of the greatest American entrepreneurs ever.

7.    While developing his vacuum, Sir James Dyson (1947-) went through 5,126 failed prototypes and his savings over 15 years. But the 5,127th prototype worked and now the Dyson brand is the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the United States.

            To succeed, you have to be willing to fail.  You also have to have the patience to keep doing the thing you believe in until you get the results you want.  

            That is also true in spiritual matters.  I wonder how many blessings we have missed because we either did not believe God’s promises, or gave up on them too soon.  

            If we do what we know we should, and do it long enough, God’s blessing will follow.

            “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).  Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place.  “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move.  Start with yourself!  It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves.  Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better.  There is always more to do.  This, then, leaves very little time to point out...
Post a Comment
Read more