When Life Gives You Lemons
by Alex Tresniowski
1. Standing Tall
- Michael Ain -A dwarf who becomes orthopeddic surgeon
“It is far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checked by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjou much nor suffer much because they live in a gray twilight that know not victory nor defeat”
Don't look for easy excuses
Don't just keep trying, try harder
Don't let fear of humiliation stop you
2. Unstoppable
- Sally Jessy Raphael - The broadcaster whoo been fired 18 times
“A great deal of success is being prepared. The rest is just outlasting everybody else.”
Don't wallow in self-pity - nobody cares
Trust in your dreams through thick and thin
Act like a winner and the world will catch up with you
3. Frankly Speaking
- Barry Potekin – Gold Coast Dogs restaurannt’s owner who once could only afford one plain bagel and a cup of coffee, sharing with his father.
“The first rule of war is audacity. Don’t train to survive, train to win!”
Find the real reason you failed
Hitting bottom means you’re on your way up
Don’t let failure make you fearful – be audacious
4. Recipe for success
- Linda Fisher - The Muffin Lady who uses the fire engine station’s kitchen
“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart”
You won’t everything right the first time
Accept that paying dues is part of the deal
Do what you do with love and you will be rewarded
5. Back from the Brink
- Ben Beltzer – Founder of Interfaith Housiing Coalition; Families can only stay up to 4 months; they must complete educational training, find employment and secure their own apartments by the end of that period
“We all need people to believe in us, so that we can believe in ourselves”
Failure is a test of faith, not a reason to give it up
Look for lessons in your suffering
Everybody needs a little help sometimes
6. Frankly Speaking
- Kathy Garver – Who becomes a successful aactress after she does what she always wanted – she got married
“It took some failures and setbacks to make me realize exactly what I needed to do. And that was follow my heart”
Don’t let others define success for you
Ask yourself: Did I fail my goal or my goal fail you
How do I know what my true goal is? Listen to your heart
7. The Chips are Never Down
- Wally Amos – Famous Amos cookies’ founder who goes from rags-to-riches and
back-to-rags and then back-to-riches story
“If you give up when things go wrong, you lose for sure. But if you hang in there, something good might happen. That’s just common sense.”
Accept what happened and move on
Always stay positive!
Don’t sell yourself short
8.Thinking Big
- Rick Hvizdak – Who creates and sell housing software after getting fired by his brother
“You become what you think you are. The attitude you develop is the most important ingredient in determining your level of success”
Failure gives you carte blanche to reinvent yourself
Come up with a good plan and give everything you got
Prepare, prepare, prepare – physically and mentally
9. Flying High
- John Starks – A short guy who got into NBA All-Stars when he is quite old. His coach remarked, “Others didn’t play as hard, didn’t work as hard and they didn’t care as much as John does”
“I wouldn’t trade the struggles I went through for anything. They made me a very humble person, and they made a better man.”
Make sure that what you want, you want more than anything
Don’t let disappointments be more crushing than they are
Never stop believing in yourself
10. Terms of Enchantment
- Denice Frankhart – Who almost die when her life is spinning out of control literally; she found Enchanted Travel Tours that caters for disabled people
“When you’re challenged, it gives you the chance to use more of your brain. It gives you the chance to truly discover yourself”
Respecting yourself invites success
Let go of old ways and bad habits
Don’t settle for the status quo – square one is the ideal place to launch a dream
11. Taking Stock
- Chris Gardner –Who sleeps in railway’s bathroom with his 3 months old baby. The best asker and the best listener; a PSD (poor, smart and driven) broker.
“When things are going badly and you really want to quit, that’s the time to push harder than ever. The game doesn’t start until you’re up against the wall”
Stay extremely focused
Don’t ask “Can I?”, ask “How Can I?”
When you’re against the wall, push the wall down
12. Invincible Summer
- Ben Jones – The guys who almost drank himself to death, later became a US Congressman
“In the midst of winter I discovered there was within me an invincible summer”
No one is predisposed to fail
Know enough to ask for help
Find the joy in your travails
13. Helping Hand
- Patricia Biedar – Who take over the company when her husband dies, a business associate help her to understand how the business world should work
“I said, “I can’t understand why I’m making these mistakes.” And he said, “ That’s how you learn. That’s how you really learn.”
Take the blame when it belongs to you
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
When all seems lost, turn to others for help
14.Giant Killer
- Bill Pilczuk – The skinny boy that beat Alexander Popov
“All I think about is doing my best. But I always think that my best is good enough to win”
A million-to-one odds means you have a shot
Don’t focus on the prize, focus on the process
You are never too old to overcome failure
15. Hubble Trouble
- Earl Stafford – Who win a contract of cleaner job, does it with so much gusto that the bigger (technical) contract is awarded to him outright
“Adversity is just the dues you pay to get into the club”
Don’t get wrapped up in negative feelings
Setback strengthen – not weaken – you
Don’t expect your journey to be easy
16. Chasing perfection
-Dan Jensen – Who was expected to win 500 metres speed skate, instead win 1000 metres when he enjoys the ride
“Whether or not you achieve your goal isn’t always the most important thing. Sometimes the effort can be just rewarding.”
Don’t be afraid to tweak your goal
Don’t let past failures become baggage
Abandon the expectation to win