As Americans we are extremely wrapped up in perfection and greatness; however, we often forget that the road to greatness is often paved with failures, imperfections and mistakes. We get so caught up in critiquing ourselves, and dwelling upon these failures that we cannot move past them. Like bricks stuck to our feet, these failures weigh on our hearts and minds, engulfing us in their worries, and trapping us in the past. But what if we took another look at failure and made that word a positive? In honor of the many failures and mistakes we will all make, here are eight people who turned their mistakes, failures and imperfections and turned them into greatness.

1. Albert Einstein. Now regarded as a science genius, Einstein was once deemed ‘mentally slow’, kicked out of one school and denied admittance to another.
2. Walt Disney. Disney went bankrupt several times, and was fired from his job at a newspaper for his ‘lack of creativity and ideas’ before he created Disneyland.
3. Lucille Ball. This ‘I Love Lucy’ star was a former B lister actress, and told by her acting coaches to try another profession.
4. Wayne Gretzky. Nicknamed “The Great One”, Gretzky was considered to have an unimpressive stature along with poor strength and speed.
5. Thomas Edison. Fired twice and 1,000 attempts at the light bulb, without him we would be in the dark!
6. Theodor Seuss Giesel (you may also know him as Dr. Seuss). Seuss’ books almost went unpublished and unread. His first book was rejected by 27 different publishers.
7. Oprah Winfrey. Known today as the face of talk show TV, Oprah grew up in abusive household, and was fired from one television station because she was apparently, ‘unfit for TV’.
8. J.K. Rowling. Before becoming the famous author of the Harry Potter books, Rowling was attending school, divorced, depressed and trying to raise a child.

Struggling to accept your own mistakes? Sign up for a Sedona Soul Adventurers retreat and we will help you turn it around!