World-renowned author, J.K Rowling, gave a very inspiring commencement speech at Harvard where she shared that poverty was not her biggest fear but failure. What constitutes failure? She says, the world is eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. But what are the benefits of failure? It simply means STRIPPING AWAY OF THE ESSENTIAL. She experienced the darkest moment of her life when a series of events left her with nothing but an old typewriter and a big idea. She realized that it was all she needed and of course, her beloved daughter to rebuild her life.
She directed all her energy to what really mattered to her. From the words of this humble millionaire, “Some failures in life are inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you lived so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all in which case you failed by default.”
Failure taught her things about herself. She discovered that she had a strong will and more disciplined than she had suspected. “The knowledge that you have emerged stronger and wiser from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. Life is difficult and complicated; it is beyond anyone’s total control and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes. The moment that you are old enough to take the steering wheel, responsibility lies with you!”
Watch closely and learn more about true success from the best-selling author, J.K. Rowling.