Why Simon Cowell Says that Losing Everything Was the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Him
As a young adult, there is this unspoken pressure to have your life together and be successful. It almost seems like as soon as you graduate college, you should be able to find the perfect (well-paying) job and start your career.
That is rarely the case, however.
When you realize that being successful takes more time than you originally thought, it can derail any motivation you once had. This can result in what some refer to as a “quarter-life crisis.”
In the midst of that crisis, it can seem like too much time has been wasted or like there is no possible way to reach success. But the fact is, many well-known people have hit similar roadblocks and built their success from them.
Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as an evening news reporter in Baltimore. She was told she was “unfit for television news” because she was too emotionally invested in the stories. She was in her 20s. Since then she has hosted her own talk show, owns a channel, and is a successful producer.
Walt Disney was fired from his animation job at the Kansas City Star because he was told he lacked imagination. He later drove his own animation studio into bankruptcy. Then when he moved to California, where he created a little mouse that jump-started his incredible legacy.
Simon Cowell has a similar story that can give hope to anyone who feels like success could not be in their future.
When he was in his early 30s, he lost everything.
Things had progressed to a point where he lost his own house and needed to move in with his parents. He had to sell his car as well.
He remembers hoping that his $7 would be enough to cover the taxi ride to his parents’ house.
Looking back, Cowell recognizes that it was one of the best things that ever happened to him. “As you’re losing it, it’s not as bad as you think,” he told Ellen.
In fact, because of that stage in his life, he is able to appreciate everything he has now.
“You actually can get what you want, if you are talented, if you have talent, but most importantly you have to work hard,” he said. Since then, he has lived an extremely successful life.
Simon Cowell’s story is an inspiration to continue to work hard even if you’re having to start over.
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