Been Discouraged? – Press On

“Opportunity…it often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.” – Napoleon Hill  We’ve all had set backs or been discouraged as we pursued our callings of one kind or another.  Here are some folks who overcame their discouragement and pressed on.

Winston Churchill – This Nobel Prize-winning, twice-elected Prime Minster of the United Kingdom wasn’t always as well regarded as he is today. Churchill struggled in school and failed the sixth grade. After school he faced many years of political failures, as he was defeated in every election for public office until he finally became the Prime Minister at the ripe old age of 62.

Albert Einstein – As a child, Albert Einstein had some difficulty communicating and learning in a traditional manner. He didn’t speak until he was 4 years old. Of course, Einstein’s communication and behavioral problems were not indicative of a lack of intelligence. He won the Nobel prize in physics for correcting the deficiencies of Newtonian physics with his theory of relativity.

Dick Cheney – After having trouble adjusting to the culture and his classes, Dick Cheney dropped out of Yale — and then returned, only to drop out for good. George W. Bush once joked: “So now we know if you graduate from Yale, you become president. If you drop out, you get to be vice president.”

Oprah Winfrey –  Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position, however, enduring a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for TV”.

Walt Disney – Walt Disney 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.” Today, most childhoods wouldn’t be the same without his ideas.

Just like Walt Disney and the others on this list, you may be just one idea or one try away from success and making a big difference in the lives of others.  And for that reason no matter how discouraged you may be today, as your chums, we would have to encourage you  to keep going and Press On!