J.K. Rowling’s The Fringe Benefits of Failure
J.K. Rowling inspires the Harvard graduates about the benefits of failure she explains how failure can be a good thing. Teaching valuable lessons in life and forcing you to make the best out of your situation, like the old saying goes turning lemons into lemonade. Rowlings tell the story of failure 7 years after she graduated from college, she was recently divorced, after only being married for a short period of time, she was unemployed, single mother, and poor. She recalls this time period as one that was dark, and she had no idea that things would turn around like they did for her. Rowling’s hope to make it out of this dark tunnel was the only thing she had to hold onto, because there was so much uncertainty that things would get better. Rowling’s talk about the benefits of failure allowing her to come to the conclusion that she couldn’t be anything more than what she was meant to be, and if she wanted to be happy then she had to pursue that which made her happy. She believes that had she succeeded in a different career she wouldn’t be the person we know today. Being that she had reached the rock bottom she felt as though she had only one choice to succeed at this point in her life, and the only thing that mattered was her daughter, her life and her typewriter, here is where she bounced back and rebuilt her life. Failure taught Rowling about her strong will to succeed, her discipline, and valuable friendships. Becoming wiser and stronger due to her setbacks allowed her to be secure in her ability to survive. Rowling believes adversity has been the most valuable lesson or qualification she has ever earned. I certainly have a better understanding about failure I agree that it is inevitable. I believe it safe to say that anyone that has succeeded in life has experienced some form of failure, and without this test we can never reach our full potential.
