3 Failure Stories That Turned Into Inspiration

It has become very common to say that a problem is an opportunity and that a failure is the beginning of a triumph. In fact, we hear it so much that we don’t pay attention to its meaning. We forget the great truth hidden in these statements. As proof of this, there are many real failure stories that later became sources of inspiration.

Triumph and failure, in fact, are fleeting moments. Sometimes almost accidents of fate. What really matters are the processes, both internal and external. What matters are the changes that this constant pursuit of certain goals brings to us. We are all capable of growing into failure.

Sometimes the difference between a defeat and a victory is perseverance. The problem is that some defeats often leave us without strength; they steal our hope and make us discouraged. So, nothing better than knowing stories of real failures to remind you that there is always a second chance. These are three of them.

1. Abraham Lincoln, A Persevering Man

Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most important historical character in the United States. He was president of this nation twice. He was also the one who abolished slavery and had to assume the Civil War, whose final result was the definitive unity of the North American territory.

Lincoln is a great example of stories of failure turned into triumphs. He was born into a very poor family and had to work in the fields since he was 7 years old . He couldn’t go to school, but he studied self-taught and graduated as a lawyer. His mother died when he was 9 years old.

He successively failed in his political career. He was defeated in his aspirations for popularly elected posts several times. He also went bankrupt in his business when he was 24 and spent the next 17 years paying off debt. His fiancee died suddenly and he had a nervous breakdown. His great will made him move forward and become a decisive figure in the history of his country and the world. 

2. Arianna Huffington, one of the most inspiring failure stories

Arianna Huffington was born in Athens, Greece, in 1950. Her childhood was marked by separation from her parents. He studied economics at Girton College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself by his leadership. So she moved to the United States and married a member of Congress there. Their marriage ended and this event marked a before and an after.

She had collaborated with various media outlets and had a certain audience. He wrote a book that was rejected by 26 publishers. He worked tirelessly to project his work and get a better position, until he collapsed. In 2007, he suffered a faint from chronic fatigue. It made her rethink what she was doing.

He decided to do what he liked best, and to do it without the pressures of success. He created a blog that, years later, became a communication empire: HuffPost. She is considered one of the 100 most influential women in the world. This is one of the failure stories that turned out to be inspiration.

3. Frank McCourt, from indigence to fame

Frank McCourt is the author of the well-known novel ‘Angela’s Ashes’, which was also taken to the cinema. This  work is an autobiographical play in which McCourt chronicles the crushing misadventures he has been exposed to since he was born. Basically, his family was surrounded by misery. His father was an alcoholic who abandoned him and his brothers.

In fact, several of this author’s brothers died as a result of the difficult conditions in which they lived. They lived in a shack, next to a latrine and had practically nothing to eat. Frank had to work from a very young age and, at the same time, go to school. He didn’t even have shoes to wear. He also suffered from typhoid fever and nearly died.

At age 19, after patiently saving thanks to his work as a mailman, he achieved his lifelong dream: to return to the United States, where he was originally from. There he became a great writer. The work, which recounts his misfortunes, was also the same work that won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1999.

These are just some of the stories of failures that later turned into examples of overcoming. What is common among them all is the strong perseverance that exists behind those who have achieved triumph, without giving up in the face of obstacles.