If at first you don't succeed...

Feeling rejected? Despondent? Bummed?
Bummed even further because you don’t know the exact definition of despondent? It means downhearted. Not to worry. You are not alone. The universe makes a mockery of all of us at some point in our lives.
This is a world of ebb and flow.
Although it sometimes feels more like ebbebbebbflowebbebbebbflow....

Today I’ve got some cheery, uplifting stories of people who made it through bad times, and came out the other side a humongous success.

So…IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, JOIN THIS VERY COOL CLUB:

Theodore Roosevelt ran in 1886 as Republican candidate for mayor of NYC – and lost.
Walt Disney’s first cartoon production company – Laugh-o-Gram -- went bust.
Henry Ford first went bankrupt before Ford cars hit it big.
F.W. Woolworth’s first store – the Great Five Cent Store – proved not so great. It totally failed.
Jane Fonda was kicked out of girlscouts for telling dirty jokes.
Dr. Seuss’s first book -- And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street -- was turned down by 27 publishing houses.
Fred Smith received a C on his term paper at Yale University for his concept for an overnight delivery service. He went on to create FedEx anyway.
Barbara was told in 1957 by a TV executive to “stay out of television.”
Jerry Seinfeld at one point sold lightbulbs over the phone.
George Lucas’ first movie THX-1138 flopped so majorly every major studio turned down his next movie: American Graffitti. Finally Universal agreed to do it because Coppola got involved. Not only did American Graffiti hit it big – so did Lucas’ next film: Star Wars.

So if you feel despondent today - just remember: at least now you know the exact definiton of despondent…and now you know some very wildly successful people have felt that way at some point too.