श्री पन्चमी / सरस्वती पूजा / बसन्त पन्चमी को शुभकामना

आज विद्या / सिर्जनाकी देवीका रूपमा मानिने सरस्वतीको पूजा आराधना गर्ने  श्री  पन्चमी  ।  श्री पन्चमीको दिन बाट नै वसन्त ऋतु आरम्भ भएको मानिने हुनाले यस दिनलाई  बसन्त पन्चमी पनि भनिन्छ । यस चाडलाई हिन्दु धर्मावलम्बीहरुले बिशेष पर्बको रुपमा सरस्वतीको मन्दिर तथा पुस्तकको पूजा गरेर मनाउछन ।

श्री पन्चमीको दिनमा बालबालिकालाई अक्षराम्भ गराए शुभ हुने मानिन्छ र साथै कुनै पनि नयाँ कार्य आज शुरु गर्नु शुभ हुने पनि बिश्वास गरिन्छ ।  यस दिनमा बालकहरुको पहिलो पटक नाक–कान छेड्ने पनि चलन छ ।

आजको दिन शिक्षक, विद्यार्थी, लेखक, कलाकार, पत्रकार आदि सिर्जनाकार हरुले आ-आफ्ना सिर्जनाका औजारको पूजा गर्नुका साथै सरस्वतीको तस्बीरमा पनि पूजा गर्ने चलन छ ।  आजको दिन राजधानीका बिभिन्न सरस्वती मन्दिरहरू जस्तै नीरबाराही, लाजिम्पाट, स्वयम्भू, गैरीधाराको नीलसरस्वती, ललितपुरको लेले आदिमा मेला लाग्ने गर्छ ।

                                                                                 सरस्वतीको आरधाना

सरस्वती मया दृष्टा वीणापुस्तकधारिणी !
हंसवाहनसंयुक्ता विद्यादानं करोतु मे !

प्रथमं भारती नाम द्वितीयञ्च सरस्वती ,
तृतीयं शारदा देवी चतुर्थ हंसवाहिनी ,

पञ्चमं तु जगन्माता षष्ठं वागीश्वरी तथा
सप्तमं चैव कौमारी अष्टमं वरदायिनी ,

नवमं बुद्धिदात्री च दशमं ब्रह्मचारिणी ,
एकादशं चन्द्रघण्टा द्वादशं भुवनेश्वरी

द्वादशै तानि नामानि त्रिसन्ध्यं य पठेन्नरः
जिव्हाग्रे वसते तस्य ब्रह्मरूपा सरस्वती

भैरव अर्याल – जय भुँडी

व्यास बाजेले अठार पुराण लेखे, तर सबभन्दा जरुरी एउटा पुराणचाहिं लेख्न भुसुक्कै बिर्सेछन्। वेदव्यासको युगमा बिर्सेको कुरो आज वेदनाशको युगमा तैंले कसरी सम्झिस्? भन्नुहोला, मलाई पनि हिजै मात्र आफ्नी बुढी आमाले झट्ट सम्झाइदिइन्। साथै यस पुराणको माहात्म्य पनि मैले उनैबाट दृष्टान्तसहित बुझ्ने मौका पाएकोले अरु पुराणको प्रारम्भमा ‘शारदायै नम:’ भनेजस्तै पुराणको सुरुमा म भन्दछु – बूढी आमायै नम:।


परलोकका निम्ति होइन, यसै लोकको निम्ति नसुनी नहुने र परोपकारको निमित्त होइन, आत्मोपकारको निमित्त नबुझी नहुने यो सर्वकालीन, सर्वदेशीय र सर्वधर्मीय पुराणको नाम हो – ‘भुँडीपुराण।’ भुँडी विश्वको सर्वोच्च देवी हुन्, जसलाई मान्छेले मात्र होइन, देवाधिमेव महादेवले पनि मान्नुपरेको थियो। हेरिल्याएको खण्डमा कृष्ण हुन् कि क्राइष्ट हुन्, बुद्द हुन् कि कन्फ्युसियस हुन् सबै देवात्माहरु भुँडीबाट मर्त्यलोकमा अवरोहण गरेका हुन्। महर्षि हु्न् कि मार्क्स हुन्, सन्त हुन् कि सार्त्र हुन्, सबै दार्शनिकहरु भुँडीमै निर्मित भएर देखा परेका हुन्। वाल्मीकि हुन् कि होमर हुन्, टाल्सटाय हुन् कि टैगोर हुन्, दाँते हुन् कि देवकोटा हुन्, सम हुन् कि शेक्सपियर हुन् प्रत्येक कविको जन्म भुँडीबाटै भएको हो। अलेक्जेन्डर हुन् कि चङ्गेज खाँ हुन्, लिङ्कन हुन् कि लेनिन हुन्, नेपोलियन् हुन् कि जङ्गबहादुर हुन्, बिस्मार्क हुन् कि पृथ्वीनारायण शाह हुन्; सबै नेताहरुको उद्गमस्थल भुँडी हो। त्यसैले भुँडी जीवनकी निर्मात्री र विश्वकी अधि्ठात्री हुन्, जसको पूजाआजा गर्नु प्राणीमात्रको प्रमुख कर्तव्य हो।


भुँडीको पूजाविधि देख्नलाई त्यति झन्झटिया छैन, किनभने हाम्रा अरु देवदेवीलाई जस्तो चन्दन, अबिर, फूल इत्यादिको भुँडीदेवीलाई जरुरत छैन। उनलाई त केवल जल र नैवेद्य भए पुग्छ। तर जल र नैवेद्यका प्रकार र मात्राहरुचाहिं विवेचना गर्न लाग्यो भने भुँडीपूजाजस्तो अप्ठ्यारो न भीमसेन पूजा हुन्छ, न भगवतीपूजा। जल मात्र कति थरी चाहिन्छन् कति थरी- चिसो, तातो, सेतो, रातो, चिल्लो, खल्लो, नुनिलो, गुलियो, अमिलो, धमिलो इत्यादि। अझ नैवेद्य त के कति र कस्तो भनी बयान गरेर साध्य छैन। त्यस कारण, यसबारे पूरा जान्ने इच्छा छ भने बरु कुनै नैवेद्यविशेषज्ञले लेखेको भुँडीपूजापद्धति पढ्नुहोला अथवा कुनै भुँडीवालकी बूढीसित सोध्नु भए पनि हुन्छ। यो पुराणमा त यति मात्र जनाइन्छ कि भुँडीदेवीलाई नैवेद्य चाहिन्छ। नैवेद्यको अभावमा वा कमीमा, नैवेद्यको हेलचक्र्याइँमा वा लापर्बाहीमा भुँडी रिसाइहाल्छिन्। शङ्कर रिसाउँदा संसार संहार हुन्छ भनी व्यास बाजे भन्थे भने शङ्करको पनि साख्खै आमा पर्ने महामाता भुँडी रिसाउँदा त के होला के नहोला, आफैं कल्पना गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ। विश्वामित्रजस्ता नैष्ठिकलाई कुकुरको मासु कोच्याएको कुरादेखि लिएर विश्वका कैयौं नेता र जेताको जुगमा क्रान्तिको आगो सल्काउँदै भुँडीदेवीले मच्चाएका घम्साघम्सी र ध्वांसाध्वांसी कसलाई थाहा छैन र! यसैले ज्ञानमा जति गढे पनि, विज्ञानमा जति बढे पनि, विद्यामा जति पढे पनि, बुद्धि जति जडे पनि आखिर सबै चुलिंदै गई ‘ओं’ बन्छ भनी ऋषिहरु भन्थे, तर मलाई लाग्छ- त्यो अक्षर ‘ओं’ होइन ‘आँ’ बन्छ। यसकारण प्रत्येक बिहानै ‘कुखुरी काँ’को साथै प्रत्येक घरका केटाकेटीहरु मुख बाइहाल्छन्- ‘आँ’! अनि रातोरातो जल र मीठो पीठो जेजति पाइन्छ नैवेद्य चढाउँदै भुँडीपूजाको कार्यक्रम सुरु गर्नुपर्छ। घरमा होस् कि होटलमा होस्, ब्यारेकमा होस् कि होस्टेलमा होस्, ट्रेनमा होस् कि प्लेनमा होस्, बाटैमा होस् कि घाटैमा होस्, आखिर जहाँ भए पनि हातमुख जोर्दै सम्झनुपर्छ-
“नमो देव्यै पेट देव्यै सर्व देव्यै तथेव च।
आन्द्रा आन्द्री समेतायै भुँडी देव्यै नमो नम:॥”


भुँडीपूजाको यस कार्यक्रममा अलिकति बाधा पर्यो भने आफ्नो भुँडी रिसाउनुभन्दा पहिले घरकी बुढी रिसाउँछिन् र घुर्की लाउँछिन्- तपाईंको तो सिङ्गल भुँडी त हो नि। नभन्दै उनको भुँडी साह्रै चामत्कारिक हुन्छ। आखिर गनेर ल्याउँदा बूढाबूढीदेखि लिएर भुराभुरीसम्मका सिङगा भुँडी र बूढीको भुँडीभित्रको भुँडीसमेत जोडी प्रत्येक घरमा सालाखाला साँढे सातभन्दा कम भुँडी पाइन मुस्किल छ। अनि कतिको भुँडीपूजा


कतिपल्ट गर्ने? त्यसैले कोहीकोही गुनासो गर्छन्- भुँडीपूजाको झन्झट नहुँदो हो त म केके न गर्थें। हो पनि मान्छेलाई त्यो झन्झट नपरेको भए ऊ सत्यवादी हुन्थ्यो, सदाचारी हुन्थ्यो, अणुबम बनाउने खर्चले समुद्र पुर्थ्यो, आकाश उतार्थ्यो। तर मलाई लाग्छ- यी केवल धाकै मात्र हुन्, भुँडी नभएको भए मान्छे सुत्थ्यो- कुम्भकर्ण सुतेझैं। अनि जङ्गल जङ्गलै रहन्थ्यो, मान्छे जङ्गलभित्रै हुन्थ्यो।


सबैलाई थाहै छ- भुँडी स्वयं परमेश्वरी भएकोले प्रत्येक प्राणीमा उनको अंश नभएको हुँदैन। अर्को शब्दमा प्रत्येक व्यक्ति भुँडीको एक अवतार हो। ऊसित सानो होस् या ठूलो होस् एउटा भुँडी हुन्छ। त्यसैले मान्छे उखान गर्छन्- जहाँ जान लागे पनि भुँडी सँगसँगै जान्छ। नभन्दै गोसाईंथान जाने यात्रु हुन् वा अन्तरिक्षका यात्रु हन्, सबैले सबभन्दा पहिले भुँडी जोहो गर्नै पर्छ। कोही राष्ट्रसङ्घीय काममा लागेको होस् वा कोही मल सोहोर्न लागेको होस् मुख्यत: सबैलाई भुँडीपूजाले नै प्रेरित गरिरहेको हुन्छ। गधाझैं लादिन परोस् वा गाईझैं दुहिन


परोस्, कुकुरझैं दैलैदैलो ढुक्नुपरोस् वा लाटोकोसेरोझैं रातभरि जाग्राम बस्नुपरोस्, येनकेन प्रकारेण भुँडीपूजा गर्न सकिएन भने घरबार सब पुरपार पारी कि रानीपोखरी ताक्नुपर्छ कि डाँडो काट्नुपर्छ। आखिर सत्य कुरो यही हो- ‘येनकेन प्रकारेण उदरं परिपूरयेत।’ सबैले थाहा पाएकै छन्- यही भुडीपूजाको लागि हाम्रा कैयन पुर्खाले परचक्रीको दैलो कुरे। हुक्काको नलीदेखि बन्दुकको नालीसम्म बोके। अझै कैयौं बुढिया र दुलही नानीहरु भुँडीको पूजासामा खोज्न निस्केका आफ्ना छोरा र दुलाहाहरुको प्रतीक्षामा आँखा तान्दै छन्।


त्यसैले त भनेको, प्रत्येक प्राणीमा भुँडीदेवताको अंश हुन्छ। अर्को शब्दमा प्रत्येक भुँडी मिलेर देश वा समाजको विशाल भुँडी बन्छ र विशाल-विशाल पनि जुट्दा भुँडीको विराट् रूप बोध हुन्छ। उस्तै र उत्रै भए पनि प्रत्येक भुँडीको बेग्लै आयतन हुन्छ र नैवेद्य ग्रहणका तरिकाहगरु विभिन्न किसिमका हुन्छन्।


यस दृष्टिले हेर्ने हो भने भुँडीलाई मुख्यत: चार भागमा वर्गीकरण गर्न सकिन्छ।


तिनमध्ये पहिला छ- हाँडीघोप्टे भुँडी। सकेसम्म अरु साराको बाग आफ्नै भुँडीभित्र घोप्ट्याएर दुनियाँमा भुँडीवादको सिद्वान्त लागू गर्न


हाँडीघोप्टे भुँडी सधैं हाँडीजस्तै मुख बाइरहेको हुन्छ। कर्म न कुकर्म, सर्म न बेसर्म, धर्म न अधर्म, कुनै कुराको छ्यानविचार नगर्ने हुनाले नैवेद्यका ठूलाठूला स्रोतहरु हाँडीघोप्टे भुँडीकै सामु घोप्टिन पुगेका छन्।दोस्रो छ- घ्याम्पे भुँडी। जो हाँडीघोप्टे भुँडीभन्दा अलि सानो भए पनि स्वभावमा भने प्राय: उस्तैउस्तै हुन्छ। तेस्रो हो- टाकनटुकन भुँडी। जसलाई नैवेद्य जुटाउन सत्रतिर दाह्रा ङिच्च्याई टाकनटुकन नगरी हुँदैन। यिनको अतिरिक्त अर्को छ- ठन्डाराम भुँडी जो प्राय: खोक्रै रहन्छ। हाँडीघोप्टे र घ्याम्पे भुँडीले खँगारेका यी ठन्डाराम भुँडीहरु यहाँमात्र हैइन, पृथ्वीको भुँडीभरि ‘ठाउँ न ठहर, धोको न रहर’ भै भकुन्डिरहेका छन्। कति वानरको फौजझैं धपाइन्छन् भने कति भेडाको भाउमा खरिदिन्छन् पनि। भुँडीको नैवेद्यको लोभले भुँडीवालका जुनसुकै सर्तमाथि नाकको टुप्पामा कालो दलेर ल्याप्चे सही गर्नुपर्दा कति टाकनटुकन भुँडीहरुले हाँडीघोप्टे भुँडीझैं हाउडे भुँडीमा पस्नुपरेथ्यो। यी कथाहरु सम्झेर सम्झिनसक्ना छन्। एसिया, अफ्रिकाका कैयौं टाकनटुकन भुँडीहरुले अझै पश्चिम फर्केर ‘भवतिभवति गहुँ मे देहि’ भनी प्रार्थना गर्न छुटेको छैन।


सबलाई थाहा छ- वीसौं सताब्दीको विराट् भुँडीले सुरसाको मुख बनाएको छ। मान्छे हनुमानझैं आकाशपाताल चहारेर कति नै ठूलो आङ फुलाओस् भुँडीको बढ्दो आयतनको अनुपातमा उसको शक्तिसामर्थ्य हात्तीको मुखमा जीरा हुन्छ। कसलाई थाहा छैन र? भुँडीको लागि समुद्र तरेका भारतीयहरु भुँडीकै भाग नपुगी लङ्काबाट लर्काइँदै छन् भने भुँडीकै पिरलोले जुगजुगदेखि ‘ब्रह्माको मुलुक’ पसेका नेपालीहरु भूँडीकै समस्याले बर्माबाट फर्काइँदै छन्।


भुँडीपूजाका लागि मान्छेले के सोच्यो के सोचेन, के गर्यो के गरेन, बयान गरी साध्य छैन। सुरुमा काँचो तरुल र भ्याकुरले भुँडीपूजा गर्ने मान्छेले आज पृथ्वीको कुनै छेउलाई बाँझो रहन नदिई हलो चलाई नैवेद्य फलायो। तर एकले अर्कोको अस्तित्व आवश्यक नठान्दा भुँडीभुँडी भकुराभकुर गर्न थाले। बलियो भुँडी घ्याम्पे भए, घ्याम्पाघ्याम्पा जुधे, कोही हाँडीघोप्टे हुन पुगे त धेरैजसो ठन्डाराम भुँडी भै भकुन्डिए। आखिर अरबौं ठन्डाराम भुँडीहरुले रुन्चे स्वरमा चिच्च्याउनुपर्यो। भुँडीपूजा हुन्छ भने सबैको हुनुपर्छ। फलस्वरुप मार्क्सले भुँडीपूजाको समान पद्धति सोचे, भुँडीवालहरुले उनलाई उडाए, तर आखिर कतिपय देशमा ठन्डाराम भुँडीहरुको ध्यान त्यता नगई छोडेन।यसैयसै गरी करोडौं ठन्डाराम हाँडीहरुले भारतमा सर्वोदयको सपना देखे भने लाखौं ठन्डाराम हाँडिहरुको उचित पूजाको लागि नेपालले भूमि-सुधारको योजना लागू गर्न परिरहेछ। तैपनि हाँडीघोप्टे र घ्याम्पे हाँडीहरु ङ्यारङ्यार्-ङरङर गरी भर्सेलीबाट भाग्नुपरेका बिरालाझैं नाक बजाउँदै छन्। तर नैवेद्यको जोरजामका लागि कसिएका ९५ प्रतिशत भुँडीहरुको माझमा निहुँ खोज्न लागे भने उनीहरुको जुगानुजगदेखि टन्किएको भुँडीले मादल र दमाहाझैं बज्नुपर्ने कुरा स्वत: सिद्ध भइसकेको छ। कुराको जरो यही हो।


मैले यो भुँडीपुराण पनि भुँडीदेवीकै उपासनाको लागि लेखेको हुँ। जुन दिन भूमिसुधारको महामेला सकिएर खोजेजस्तै गरी सबैले भुँडीपूजाको सौभाग्य पाउलान्, त्यसै दिन व्यास बाजेका अठार पुराणमा उन्नाइसौं महापुराणको रुपमा मेरो भुँडीपुराण कसो नजोडिएला त?


जय भुँडी।
(भैरव अर्यालका अन्य कृतिका लागि यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुस )

Famously Successful People Who Failed at First

                    

    But They Did Not Give Up "Ever tried. Ever failed.No  matter             

Not everyone who’s on top today got there with success after success. More often than not, those who history best remembers were faced with numerous obstacles that forced them to work harder and show more determination than others. Next time you’re feeling down about your failures in college or in a career, keep these fifty famous people in mind and remind yourself that sometimes failure is just the first step towards success.

Try Again. Fail again. Fail better." ~ Samuel Beckett

             
       


As a young man, Abraham Lincoln went to war a captain and returned a private. Afterwards, he was a failure as a businessman. As a lawyer in Springfield,he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. He turned to politics and was defeated in his first try for the     

legislature, again defeated in his attempt to be

nominated for the congress, defeated in his application to be commissioner of the General LandOffice, defeated in the senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his efforts for the vice-presidency in 1856, and in the senatorial election of 1858. At that time, he wrote in a letter to a friend, "I am now the most miserable man living.If what I feel were equally distributed to whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth."

             Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62.He later wrote,"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense Never, Never, Never, Never give up (his capitals, mind you) 

Socrates was called "an immoral 

corrupter of youth" and continued to

corrupt even after a sentence of death

was imposed on him. He drank the 

hemlock and died corrupting.

              

Sigmund Freudwas booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community of Europe. He returned to his office and kept on writing.               

 

    

Robert Sternberg received a C in his first college introductory-psychology class. His teacher commented that"there was a famous Sternberg in psychology and it was obvious there would not be another." Three years later Sternberg graduated with honors from Stanford University with exceptional distinction in psychology, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. In 2002, he became President of the American Psychological Association. 

  

  Charles Darwin gave up a medical career and was told by his father, "You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching." In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect." Clearly, he evolved. 

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.""Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall." ~ Confucius 

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.

Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil inundergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

            

  Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded. R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York City caught on.

                 F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store because, his boss said, "he didn't have enough sense."

           

  John Garcia, who eventually was honored for his fundamental psychological discoveries, was once told by a reviewer of his often-rejected manuscripts that one is no more likely to find the phenomenon he discovered than to find bird droppings in a cuckoo clock. (sort of a cute critique actually)

Rocket scientist  Robert Goddard found

his ideas bitterly rejected by his scientific

peers on the grounds that rocket propulsion would not work in the rarefied atmosphere of outer space.

                 

Daniel Boone was once asked by a reporter if he had ever been lost in the wilderness. Boone thought for a moment and replied, "No, but I was once bewildered for about three days." 

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly." ~ Robert F. Kennedy 

          

             

             

          

     Michael Jordanwas each cut from his  high school basketball teams. Jordan once observed, "I've failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed."

 Most people wouldn’t believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn't let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” 

                   

                

  

Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, "Every strike brings me closer to the next home  run."). And didn't Mark McGwire break that strikeout record? (John Wooden once explained that winners make the most errors.)

Stan Smith was rejected as a                       

ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was "too awkward and clumsy." He went on to clumsily win Wimbledon 

and the U. S. Open. And eight Davis Cups.

          

                 Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of the 19 Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the distinction of having the worst records of first-season head coaches in NFL history - they didn't win a single game. Johnny Unitas's first pass in the NFL was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

                  

               Joe Montana's first pass was also intercepted. And while we're on quarterbacks, during his first season Troy Aikman threw twice as many interceptions (18) as touchdowns (9) . . . oh, and he didn't win a single game. You think there's a lesson here?   

                   After Carl Lewis won the gold medal for the long jump in the 1996 Olympic games, he was asked to what he attributed his longevity, having competed for almost 20 years. He said, "Remembering that you have both wins and losses along the way. I don't take either one too seriously."

         "Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see our past achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our present difficulties as signs of decline and decay." ~ Eric Hoffer 

                                

 Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff. 

                                  

Charles Schultz had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Oh, and Walt Disney wouldn't hire him.

                       

After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." He kept that memo over the fire place in his Beverly Hills home. Astaire once observed that "when you're experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, that you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion." And here is the reward for perseverance: "The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style."

                                                         

       The first time Jerry Seinfeldwalked on-stage at a comedy club as a professional comic, he looked out at the audience, froze, and forgot the English language. He stumbled through "a minute-and a half" of material and was jeered offstage. He returned the following night and closed his set to wild applause. 

                         

     

  At the age of 21, French acting legend Jeanne Moreau was told by a casting director that her head was too crooked, she wasn't beautiful enough, and she wasn't photogenic enough to make it in films. She took a deep breath and said to herself, "Alright, then, I guess I will have to make it my own way." After making nearly 100 films her own way, in 1997 she received the European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.

  

              "Flops are a part of life's menu and I've never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses." ~ Rosalind Russell                            
             

Charlie Chaplin was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because his pantomime was considered "nonsense." 

              

               .

               

                 

                    

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.

             

 Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this to the sister of one of his friends for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn't stop him from completing over 800 paintings.

            .

                    

       

                   


"Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them." Washington                        

                

  Irving Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn." No doubt a slow developer.

             

            

                   

 I bet you didn't know that John Milton wrote Paradise Lost 16 years after losing his eyesight 

              

                       .

                 

J. K. Rowling: Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel. Rowling went from depending on welfare to survive to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.

                 

Oprah Winfrey: Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position, however, enduring a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for tv"

             

Stephen King: The first book by this author, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections, finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, and the rest is history, with King now having hundreds of books published the distinction of being one of the best-selling authors of all time. 

                        

 The Beatles: Few people can deny the lasting power of this super group, still popular with listeners around the world today. Yet when they were just starting out, a recording company told them no. The were told “we don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out,” two things the rest of the world couldn’t have disagreed with more. 

                       

                     

 Bill Gates: Gates didn’t seem like a shoe-in for success after dropping out of Harvard and starting a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. While this early idea didn’t work, Gates’ later work did, creating the global empire that is Microsoft.

      The common sense point here is simple. Successful people commit to taking personal responsibility for their career success. They set high goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. They also react positively to the people and events in their lives – especially the negative people and events.

         In this post, I told the stories of some  well known people who ended up being wildly successful and well known. Let them be an example for you the next time you feel like giving up. That’s my take on career success and not giving up. What’s yours? Do you have any people to add to this list? If so, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts with us. As always, thanks for reading.

          

          Last but not least ......               

"No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with the fear of failure, it will kill your efforts, neutralize your endeavors and make success impossible." ~ Baudjuin