Sometimes, it seems more credible to hear from someone who already has the experience. Whatever success means to you, here are valuable lessons we can pick up from the real ones who have actually gone through it all.

Learn from one obstacle and move to the next

Evan Spiegel, although a college dropout, is hailed as one of the youngest billionaires by Forbes. He is the man behind Snapchat, a famous social networking app that is loved by the millennials. And on one of his speeches, particularly in the USC Commencement ceremony, one of the messages he imparted was that there will be problems coming your way that could disrupt you from your focus, but those are merely one of life’s challenges.

“You’re going to face a challenge, a full-time job. The hardest part is going to be getting used to solving problems that don’t have answers.” 

The important thing is that you keep going. There will be some problems or failures coming your way, sometimes not meant to be solved, only to teach you a lesson and make you grow stronger. 

It is never too late to be successful 

We were somehow conditioned to believe that there are milestones we should be achieving at certain points in our life, so oftentimes, we end up dreading ourselves thinking how much of a failure we are. But what Amancio Ortega can teach us is that it is never too late to be successful in life.

  With a rags to riches story, he is the founder of Inditex Fashion Group, famous for its chain, Zara clothing and accessories retail shops. He was already nearly forty years old when he founded his fast-fashion business. It took him ten years to get there and be one of the biggest business empires, but he never stopped. He only continued to strive goal after goal. 

Make a life goal and plan it out, NOW 

From a high school dropout to a self-made billionaire, Li Ka Shing is now Asia’s richest. Despite that, he remains humble and even wrote an article with which everyone can use as a guide to bringing your own life to success. And one valuable point we can certainly pick up from that is that you decide your path.

“Life can be designed. Careers can be planned. Happiness can be prepared. You should start planning now. When you are poor, spend less time at home and more time outside. When you are rich, stay at home more and less outside. This is the art of living. When you are poor, spend money on others. When you’re rich, spend money on yourself. Many people are doing the opposite.” 

Believe in yourself 

It is safe to assume that almost everyone is familiar with Walt Disney. And no, his animations and ventures weren’t a hit with just a blink of an eye. He has also gone through a series of mistakes here and there; he has also experienced failures and jumped into risky decisions.

“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way. Implicitly and unquestionable” 

Walt Disney Company was the pioneer in full animation films. And Walt Disney himself was the one with the idea of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animation film, which at first seemed like just another crazy idea by many. But he persistently went with it, and that made the very first mark of their major hit. 

One can never run out of opportunities 

Ray Kroc knew what he want and what he can do, so he went on with it.

He was then just a supplier to the McDonald’s brothers’ burger joint, but then proceeded to making a proposal to them after seeing the restaurant’s potential. The two brothers were already content with what they had and didn’t want to take risks, but Kroc was already obsessed with the idea of making McDonald’s the best. So he later on bought out the chain, systematized the business, and actually made his goals happen.

“Never be complacent in business – because the minute you do, is the minute you begin to rot.” 

You define what success is to you

Albert Einstein is a scientist and a philosopher. He is constantly curious and never stops learning, which resulted to him having a great value. He is a famous scientist, but also has greatly influenced other facets in life such as art, literature, politics, and whatnot.

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

Success doesn’t specifically refer to loads of money or to the size of a business empire. To some, it could also mean good relationships, family, and simply being content with whatever you have. How your mind works also puts a great value to you, and not all success stories can be measured through money. You decide what your idea of success is.

Accept critics positively 

Being the world’s richest many times in a row, the Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates, takes negative feedbacks to his company positively. “Learn from unhappy customers,” he says.

“Learn from unhappy customers”

We could apply this to our life by simply taking negative opinions from others to identify what you could improve on yourself. Sure, praises and encouragements from others are great, but you can learn more when you know your weak points.

Never give up

We’ve all heard of Thomas Edison. He is an American inventor and businessman. He is also considered as one of the greatest inventor, having been the first one to make a practical incandescent light bulb and the phonograph. And when asked if he ever felt like a failure and if he should give up, this was his answer:

“Why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitely over 9,000 ways an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.”

Believe that you will get to your dreams and you will. Every step you take, even a failure, is always a step towards your ultimate goal.