Have you ever experienced having a huge disappointment that ended up being a blessing in disguise? 

These eight highly-successful people experienced some massive disappointments on their way to success and fame:

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4 years old, and he did not read until he was 7 years old. One of his teachers described him as “mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in foolish dreams.” At one point he was even expelled from school!

Thomas Edison was fired from his first two jobs for being a “nonproductive” worker. In school, his teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.”  With a clear intention to invent electric light, Edison made more than 1000 unsuccessful attempts. When asked about how he felt about his many failures, he said, "I did not fail 1000 times; the light bulb was an invention that required 1000 steps."

Charles Schultz, creator of the famous Peanuts comic strip, submitted his material to his high school’s yearbook staff and it was rejected.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” His proposal for a theme park was originally rejected by the city of Anaheim, California because government officials thought it would only attract “riffraff.”  He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

The Beatles asked Decca Records for a recording contract, and they were turned down and given this feedback: “We don’t like their sound. Guitar groups are on their way out.”

Fred Astaire received this memo from the Testing Director at MGM after his first screen test in 1933: “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”

Babe Ruth set a world record for the most home runs. He also led the league in strike-outs.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team because the coach said he wasn't good enough.  He went on to win six NBA championships.  

J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishers before she found someone who said yes. Today she has sold more than 400 million copies of her books, which have been the basis for a popular series of films. She progressed from living on welfare to multi-millionaire status within five years. As of March 2011, when its latest world billionaires list was published, Forbes estimated Rowling's net worth to be $1 billion (US).

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling coauthors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, have 215 titles in print, and worldwide sales of over 500 million copies in 47 languages. They were initially rejected by 144 publishers who said it was a stupid title, that nobody bought collections of short stories, that there was no edge--no sex, no violence—and nobody would want to read it.

What separates all of these successful people from those who don’t achieve success? They kept going! They did not allow the opinion of others to stop them from following their dreams and passions.

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success?
It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure."

--Thomas J. Watson

In 2007-2008 I participated in several of Jack Canfield’s personal development programs. The first was his Breakthrough to Success basic and advanced workshops, followed by a year-long experience in his Platinum Mastermind program.  At the conclusion of Jack’s Breakthrough to Success advanced workshop, he hosted a “Come as You Will Be” cocktail party. Each participant was asked to show up as ourselves five years from then. I showed up as a best-selling author of a book with a recorded song included with the book.

Jack Canfield and Kathy Paauw

I started to write my book in 2007 and I never got past the outline.  In 2008, I noticed that so many of the people in my Platinum Mastermind group were writing books, and I thought I “should” write one, so I attempted to do so again.  Still nothing came. I gave up and decided I was not going to write a book. 

Looking back now, I realize that at the time I was moving through some heavy personal development work, and what I was attempting to write about–especially the life balance topics–made me feel very uneasy and out of integrity.  My life was completely out of balance at the time.

Although I had let go of the dream, I continued to read an affirmation I had written in 2007:

“I am a best-selling author of a book and CD containing original music sung by me, with the lyrics supporting the core message of the book.”

In November of 2010, I felt compelled to start writing, and the words began to effortlessly flow out of me. I finished the first draft of my book in just two months, on 1/1/11.

As I started sharing my draft with colleages to get their feedback, one of them reminded me of my projected visualization from four years prior at Jack’s “Come as You Will Be” party. That visualization included a song on a CD inside the book cover.

Here's what happened next:

In March I contacted my world-famous composer friend and concert pianist, Kevin Cole, about writing the song. (Kevin was my accompanist 34 years ago when we were both students at Interlochen Arts Academy High School.)  He said yes!

In June there was no song. 

In July there was still no song. I was planning to accompany my husband on a business trip to Chicago--where Kevin happens to live--in August.  I was also planning to attend an annual convention in Las Vegas right after returning from Chicago. The theme for the 2011 convention was Freedom—a core topic of my book. I really wanted to have some preview copies of my book and CD at the convention.

On July 27, I contacted Kevin to remind him that I was coming to Chicago and I asked him if I should reserve a recording studio so we could record the song together while I was in town. He said yes, although there was still no song.  I went ahead and reserved the recording studio for August 12 and paid the deposit on faith. 

On August 6, I received the song.  I learned it in six days and we recorded on August 12! 

On August 17–the first day of the Freedom convention, and just five days after recording the song–the publisher delivered preview copies of the book to my conference hotel, with the CD inside the front cover!

Kathy at the "Freedom" Convention on 8-17-11
in Las Vegas, holding her first copy of the book

I personally experienced two of the major lessons I write about in my book:

1. the incredible power of repeating an affirmation;
2. what happens when you let go of the how and simply allow.

To learn more about my book or to purchase your copy today (available in paperback, eBook download, and Kindle), visit TheMusicOfYourHeart.com. To hear the song, Listen to Your Heart, click here.

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