Now, most people aren’t aware of this, but when Michael Jordan was merely a sophomore in high school, he already had big dreams of being a great basketball player.
So he did something brash and tried out for the Varsity team. But, things didn’t go his way and he got himself cut from the team.
This rejection hit Jordan especially hard because of his oversized dreams and expectations. In fact, the rejection hit him so hard he went home afterward and cried in his closet.
Even though that rejection still bothered Jordan, he dusted himself off and went all in for the JV team. He trained like no other in the off-season and grew four extra inches. And the following year he tried out for the varsity team again. But this second time around, he made it.
Not only did he make it, but he went on to become the team’s MVP, making the All-American Team, and eventually earned himself a college scholarship. And from there, well, you know the rest of the story.
He went on to become the man who would score 32,292 points in a basketball career, acquire 6 NBA championships, collect 5 MVP titles, and be considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
Of all the success stories we’ve covered, this one clearly shows the importance of having great expectations, and resilience after rejection.
“The key to success is failure.” – Michael Jordan
Credits: The Strive