What you can learn from these wildly successful people who’ve failed

Having worked with many successful property investors, entrepreneurs and business people, I've found they had one trait in common. 

And it's that they have a prosperity consciousness - they are certain that they go to be successful.

When they fall over they pick themselves up again and try once more.

And don't kid yourself... all successful property investors have failed at times.

So if ever things are a bit tough for you, take heart from these 9 successful people who've endured tragedies and setbacks and turned them around to fuel their success...

1. Bill Gates' first business failed

Yes, the richest person in the whole world couldn't make any money at first.

Gates' first company, Traf-O-Data (a device which could read traffic tapes and process the data), failed miserably.

Gates and his partner, Paul Allen, didn't let that stop them from trying again though.

2. Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was four years old  

Einstein didn't have the best childhood.

He never spoke for the first three years of his life, and throughout elementary school, many of his teachers thought he was lazy and wouldn't make anything of himself.

He always received good marks, but his head was in the clouds, conjuring up abstract questions people couldn't understand.

But he kept thinking and, well, he eventually developed the theory of relativity, which many of us still can't wrap our heads around.

3. Richard Branson has dyslexia 

Branson was a pretty bad student -- he didn't get good marks and he did poorly on standardized tests.

Instead of giving up, he used the power of his personality to drive him to success.

Today, Branson, known for developing Virgin Records and many of its more technologically advanced spinoffs, is the fourth richest person in the UK.

4. Jim Carrey used to be homeless

When he was 15, Jim Carrey had to drop out of school to support his family.

His father was an unemployed musician and as the family went from "lower middle class to poor," they eventually had to start living in a van.

Carrey didn't let this stop him from achieving his dream of becoming a comedian: he went from having his dad drive him to comedy clubs in Toronto to starring in mega-blockbusters and being known as one of the best comedic actors of an era.

5. Stephen King's first novel was rejected 30 times

If it weren't for King's wife, "Carrie" may not have ever existed.

After being consistently rejected by publishing houses, King gave up and threw his first book in the trash.

His wife, Tabitha, retrieved the manuscript and urged King to finish it.

Now, King's books have sold over 350 million copies and have been made into countless major motion pictures.

6. Oprah Winfrey gave birth at age 14 and lost her child

She is one of the most successful and richest people in the world today, but Winfrey didn't always have it so easy.

She grew up in Milwaukee, Wis. and was repeatedly molested by her cousin, uncle and a family friend.

She eventually ran away from home, and at age 14 gave birth to a baby boy who shortly died after.

But Winfrey's tragic past didn't stop her from becoming the force she is today.

She excelled as an honors student in high school, and won an oratory contest which secured her a full scholarship to college.

Now the entrepreneur and personality has the admiration of millions and a net worth of $2.9 billion.

7. Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before creating the lightbulb

Although the exact number of tries has been debated, ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 attempts, it's safe to say Edison tried and failed a whole lot before he successfully created his beacon of light.

His response to his repeated failures? “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

8. Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime

Van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, yet the poor guy only sold one painting the entire time he was alive:

"The Red Vineyard at Arles (The Vigne Rouge)," which is now in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

Even though he made no money, he still painted over 900 works of art.

Though his persistence went unnoticed when he was alive, Van Gogh proves you don't need external validation to be proud of the work you create.

9. Steven Spielberg was rejected from USC, twice

One of the most prolific filmmakers of all time, the man who brought us "Schindler's List," "Jaws," "E.T." and "Jurassic Park" couldn't get into the film school of his choice.

Maybe, just sometimes, education can be a little overrated.

In the end, Spielberg would get the last laugh, when USC awarded him an honorary degree in 1994.

Two years later, he became a trustee of the university.

The moral to the story:

Never ever give up

Source: Huffington Post

Read the rest of the story here: 15 Wildly Successful People Who Overcame Huge Obstacles To Get There

About Michael Yardney Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.