The business of New Insights is in training, developing and inspiring individuals to become life coaches and, in so doing, bring freedom, confidence and growth to people from all walks of life.
Our certification programme is not ‘easy’. If it were, it would lack credibility and constitute a disservice to those who have qualified through us.
Having said that though, it is certainly very achievable for anyone with integrity, a passion for people, an open mind and a desire to learn about human motivation.
The main obstacle to success rarely has anything to do with lack of intellect, qualifications, talent, money or other resources. The main stumbling block is inevitably the mindset.
Even the most capable people are prone to procrastination, often due to an underlying fear of failure.
[box type=\”shadow\”]“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
– Bill Cosby[/box]
And yet, failure is a purely subjective concept. When we come to understand that, we realise just what a waste of time and energy fear of failure represents.
With the holiday season and a whole new year not far off, I thought you might derive inspiration from knowing that some of the most amazingly successful people started out as what many of us would term ‘failures’.
Oprah Winfrey
One of the richest and most iconic women in the world was once fired from her television reporter job due to claims that she was “unfit for television”!
Winston Churchill
He failed his sixth form education and faced defeat in every election for public office in which he ran, before he became Prime Minister of the UK (at age 62).
Marilyn Monroe
Though she died at an early age she was hugely successful. Modelling agents could not see this at first. They told her that she would probably have more success as a secretary!
Henry Ford
Ford endured bankruptcy on five occasions before he became the man who we admire today.
Vincent van Gogh
This master painter only ever sold one painting, to a friend for a paltry sum. He regularly had to endure starvation in order to complete his over 800 known works
Ludwig von Beethoven
His teacher labelled him a ‘hopeless composer’.
Walt Disney
Walt was fired for lack of ideas by a newspaper editor. He also went bankrupt a number of times before he completed Disneyland.
Charles Darwin
This ‘father of the theory of evolution’ was told by his own father, \”You care for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat catching.\”
Steven Spielberg
He applied on three occasions to the California School of Theatre, Film and Televison … and was rejected three times!
Albert Einstein
The man we respect today as a genius did not speak until he was four years old and did not read until he was seven. He was described by his teacher as \”mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.\”
Elvis Presley
This blockbuster artist was told by his manager, in 1954: “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”
Fred Astaire
In 1933 the testing director of MGM wrote the following about him: \”Can\’t act! Slightly bald! Can dance a little!\”
J K Rowling
This lady, now one of the richest women in the world, was nearly penniless when she started out writing. She was dependent on welfare grants, severely depressed and divorced.
Thomas Edison
He was told by his teachers that he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired for lack of productivity in his first two jobs. His success in inventing the lightbulb came only after 1000 unsuccessful attempts.
Bill Gates
Gates dropped out of Harvard and started a business called Traf-O-Data which failed, before he conceived of Microsoft.
Now … do you still harbour a fear of failure?
Thanks again Bill, just show you try and try again.
Hi Bill;
A great message to end the year with…and prepare for 2014.
I have always been motivated by the people who says “You can’t / It’s not possible”.
1. When I went to varsity, there was a guy who said to me “Neo it will take you 10 years to complete your degree, statistics is a very difficult course”; I laughed and I said to him NO I will finish my B-Com Stats degree on time.
Guess what – Yes you are correct.
I finished my degree and my honors in stats on time (ie 4years).
2. In 2011, someone very close to me said, you can’t drive ___, it is very expensive and you can’t afford it. I smiled and said I will, just wait and see. Dec 2011 I got the car I dreamt of.
3. When i was young about 13/14 years I wanted to go to Swaziland to attend National Church competitions (I played Euphonium – I was part of brass band). I told my parents and they said they did NOT have money.
My brother said to me “You are not going anywhere – there is no money”. I locked myself in my room and I prayed asking God to help me and I believed. Closer to the date, my uncle came and gave me the money. I went to Swaziland.
4. Dec 2012 when I registered to be a PRO Life Coach; with excitement I told my coleaques. My former manager said “UH I wonder who are you going to coach”, somehow made fun of me. I knew in my heart that NOTHING will stop me from achieving my goals.
I am on the right path and “I AM A PRO LIFE COACH” :).
To me it (ie You can’t / it’s not possible) has always been a light that lights my candle to light the world.
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” – Bill Cosby
Thank you.
Thank you Bill for a well thought and written inspirational article. My wise Aunt (Muthoni Njoroge) defines ‘fear’ as “False evidence appearing real.” A satanic inspired tool designed to keep people captive hence lose their God inspired purpose. Having life in abundance.
Hi Njoroge,
Yes, False Evidence Appearing Real is a lovely way to describe this sometimes necessary but often debilitating emotion!
Hi Bill
Thank ouso much for such a profound information and a great inspiring message. My son is been declared a slow learner at shool, I refused to accept that I didn’t even send him to special school but I kept on declaring positive words upon his life and today he is doing very well with outstanding remarks.
This message came at the right time in my life where I am “thinking” of starting a Healing Ministry as from now I am no longer thinking but ACTING.
For God never gave me a Sprit of fear but of power, Love and Sound mind;2Tim1:7
Thanks to you Bill
I’m so pleased this has had a positive impact for you Mumsy 🙂
Thank you for the comment.
Thank you Bill for your special brand of thoughtfulness, encouragement and perfect timing! 🙂
You’re most welcome Odette!
I am certain of 1 thing, and that is that Perseverance is THE most important ingredient of success. Furthermore, ordinary people CAN become EXTRORDINARY if they believe in themselves and do not along the DISTRACTIONS of this world to lure them off their path to success.
Some great points – our world today is chock full of distracting influences and external pressures ad it is all too easy to succumb to them. Thanks Karen!
A great message and we can all learn from this. We need to ask ourselves – “what is the worst that could happen if I fail ? ” The answer can be quite enlightening.
Yes, exactly, Geoff!