Often, when crossing a certain age threshold, a person tries to understand what they have accomplished in their life. Engaging in self-reflection and attempting to grasp one’s victories or defeats can easily corner oneself. If you’ve crossed the threshold at 30, 40, or even 50 years old, it’s by no means a reason to throw in the towel and think that your time has passed.
Having lived a certain span of time, we accumulate what is called ‘knowledge baggage’ or life experience. It’s precisely this experience that can propel you toward realizing your dream. AdmiGram.com provides examples of amazing individuals who have achieved success, like mythical phoenixes rising from the ashes of ordinary life failures.
5 examples to believe in yourself and never give up
Ray Kroc
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Founder of McDonald’s, sold paper cups until the age of 52.
At 52, Ray Kroc had an impressive array of health issues. The founder of McDonald’s suffered terribly from diabetes, arthritis, and deafness. His gallbladder was removed, leaving only a small part of his thyroid gland. Anything Ray started inevitably faced financial ruin. He made a meager but sole income as a traveling salesman, selling paper cups and mixers to foodservice establishments.
It was then that the idea of creating fast-food restaurants came to him, inspired by the McDonald brothers. To realize his dream, Ray had to mortgage his home, as no bank wanted to give him credit. A couple of years later, Ray Kroc became one of the wealthiest people in the world, earning $600 million.
Mary Kay Ash
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Founder of Mary Kay, worked as a sales agent until the age of 45.
Mary Kay spent 25 years working as an ordinary sales agent, from dawn to dusk, without any promotions. When she turned 45, she was so exhausted that she decided to quit. To support herself, she decided to write a book about women and their place in business. During the process, Mary noticed that her book was turning into the perfect business plan.
In 1963, Mary Kay and her husband founded the most famous cosmetics distribution company, Mary Kay Cosmetics. Within a few years, the company consistently ranked at the top in sales of skincare and makeup products.
Harrison Ford
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Actor and producer, was forced to work as a carpenter.
One of the highest-paid actors and the legendary performer of the role of Han Solo, suffered a setback at the beginning of his creative career. In one of his early films, all scenes featuring Ford were simply cut. The filmmakers considered the actor talentless. After such a loud failure, all the doors of Hollywood were closed to him.
With no recognition in acting, Ford had no choice but to remember the basics of working with an axe and a plane. Ford worked as a carpenter for eight years: he made cabinets, furniture, and renovated houses. It wasn’t until Harrison Ford turned 35 that the world learned about the existence of the legendary Han Solo and Indiana Jones.
Sheldon Adelson
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Founder of Las Vegas Sands casino, dropped out of school at age 12.
The son of poor immigrant parents, with roots tracing back to Ukraine and Lithuania, Sheldon was forced to leave school at 12 and sell newspapers on the streets to avoid starving. Sheldon and his brother Lenny tried everything imaginable to make ends meet, from selling napkins and shampoos in hotels to selling automotive sprays to car repair shops. Sheldon seized any opportunity to earn some income.
His true organizational skills emerged when he turned 45. It was then that Sheldon first thought of organizing exhibitions and conferences for global brands in Las Vegas. Only at the age of 55 did Sheldon Adelson buy his first casino, “The Sands Hotel & Casino,” which marked the beginning of his financial empire.
J.K. Rowling
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Author of ‘Harry Potter,’ a single mother living on welfare.
At the beginning of her adult life, the author of the best-selling books about the boy wizard goes through a series of setbacks that knock the ground out from under her feet. By the age of thirty-one, she had endured so much from life and her tyrant husband that she was diagnosed with clinical depression and was on the verge of suicide.
It was then that she decided to start over. With her daughter in her arms and a suitcase containing only one dress, her daughter’s clothes, and three chapters of Harry Potter, she went to live with her sister in Scotland. Before she published her first novel, Joanne lived solely on social welfare. At the age of 40, J.K. Rowling became the first person to become a billionaire through writing books.
