He later became the 16th President of the United States of America.

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up.”

Sigmund Freud was booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community of Europe. He returned to his office and kept on writing.

Robert Sternberg received a C in his first college introductory-psychology class. His teacher commented that “there was a famous Sternberg in psychology and it was obvious there would not be another.”
Three years later Sternberg graduated with honors from Stanford University with exceptional distinction in psychology, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa.

In 2002, he became President of the American Psychological Association.

Charles Darwin gave up a medical career and was told by his father, “You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching.” In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, “I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect.”

Clearly, he evolved.

Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.”
He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.”
As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied,
“I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was “sub-normal,” and one of his teachers described him as “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.”
He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.

He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.

Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

Henry Ford could not read nor write, failed and went broke five times in business before he succeeded.

R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York City caught on.

F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store because, his boss said, “he didn’t have enough sense.”

When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, “What use could this company make of an electrical toy.” How many of you have a telephone today?

Rocket scientist Robert Goddard found his ideas bitterly rejected by his scientific peers on the grounds that rocket propulsion would not work in the rarefied atmosphere of outer space.

An expert said of Vince Lombardi: “He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation.” Lombardi would later write, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.”

Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike out brings me closer to the next home run.”).

Hank Aaron went 0 for 5 his first time at bat with the Milwaukee Braves.

Stan Smith was rejected as a ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was “too awkward and clumsy.” He went on to clumsily win Wimbledon and the US Open…and eight Davis Cups.

Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of the 19 Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the distinction of having the worst records of first-season head coaches in NFL history – they didn’t win a single game.

Johnny Unitas’s first pass in the NFL was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Joe Montana’s first pass was also intercepted. And while we’re on quarterbacks, during his first season Troy Aikman threw twice as many interceptions (18) as touchdowns (9) . . . oh, and he didn’t win a single game. You think there’s a lesson here?

After Carl Lewis won the gold medal for the long jump in the 1996 Olympic games, he was asked to what he attributed his longevity, having competed for almost 20 years. He said, “Remembering that you have both wins and losses along the way. I don’t take either one too seriously.”

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

Charles Schultz had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Oh, and Walt Disney wouldn’t hire him.

After Fred Astaire’s first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” He kept that memo over the fire place in his Beverly Hills home. Astaire once observed that “when you’re experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, that you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion.” And here is the reward for perseverance: “The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it’s considered to be your style.”

After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” It was at that moment, recalls Poitier, that he decided to devote his life to acting.

When Lucille Ball began studying to be actress in 1927, she was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, “Try any other profession.”

The first time Jerry Seinfeld walked on-stage at a comedy club as a professional comic, he looked out at the audience, froze, and forgot the English language. He stumbled through “a minute-and a half” of material and was jeered offstage. He returned the following night and closed his set to wild applause.

After Harrison Ford’s first performance as a hotel bellhop in the film Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, the studio vice-president called him in to his office. “Sit down kid,” the studio head said, “I want to tell you a story. The first time Tony Curtis was ever in a movie he delivered a bag of groceries. We took one look at him and knew he was a movie star.” Ford replied, “I thought you were spossed to think that he was a grocery delivery boy.” The vice president dismissed Ford with “You ain’t got it kid , you ain’t got it … now get out of here.”

Michael Caine’s headmaster told him, “You will be a laborer all your life.”

Charlie Chaplin was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because his pantomime was considered “nonsense.”

Decca Records turned down a recording contract with The Beatles with the evaluation, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out.” After Decca rejected the Beatles, Columbia records followed suit.

In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after one performance. He told Presley, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him “hopeless as a composer.” And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this, to the sister of one of his friends, for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn’t stop him from completing over 800 paintings.

Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, was encouraged to find work as a servant by her family.

Emily Dickinson had only seven poems published in her lifetime.

18 publishers turned down Richard Bach’s story about a “soaring eagle.” Macmillan finally published Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1970. By 1975 it had sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone.

21 publishers rejected Richard Hooker’s humorous war novel, M*A*S*H. He had worked on it for seven years.

27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book, To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

Jack London received six hundred rejection slips before he sold his first story.

Woody Allen: “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying. Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

“Stay put,” he commanded before leaving to go restart the campfire.

Emma felt as though she couldn’t move, even if she had wanted to, and was quite willing to remain where she was. At least the buffalo hide was softer than the forest floor with all its pine needles coming up to poke her body. Tired, Emma reclined on the makeshift bed and stared at the Autumn canopy of yellow above her. How could something so peaceful as these majestic trees still be possible, when she felt as though her life were over?

“God,” Emma prayed once more, “I don’t understand.”

A gentle breeze picked its way through the trees and caressed Emma’s cheek. A prayer Jesus had said in the Garden of Gethsemane came to her mind, and this time Emma could recall every word with perfect clarity, as though she had had an open Bible right before her: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done.” In the midst of the insanity around her, those words came as a balm to Emma’s soul. Hadn’t Pa always told her that God had a purpose for everything that happened in their lives? Even the bad things? “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans eight, twenty-eight had been one of Emma’s Bible memory verses, for her Pa had promised there would come a time in her life when she would need to remember it. “Emma,” he had said, “God has a purpose for your life, and He’ll put you where He best sees fit. You just need patience to find where that place is.”

Josiah returned and knelt down on the robe beside Emma. He was holding an old knife with a red hot blade, as if he had just drawn it from the fire. “Open yer mouth,” he instructed.

Emma’s wide eyes fixed on the glowing knife. “Why?” she timidly asked.

Not giving any explanation, Josiah forced a wooden stick between her teeth. “Chomp down,” he warned, as he pushed back her dress.

Swallowing a deep gulp of air, Emma braced herself and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

With the skill of a man who had done this before, Josiah cleaned and cauterized Emma’s wound. The second the knife met her skin, Emma clutched in pain and moaned. She would have violently jerked her leg out from under Josiah’s knife, but he held her down until his work was finished. When Emma didn’t faint as he had expected her to, the mountain man smiled within himself. Brave men had passed out from less, and this woman was showing she had grit.

While Emma’s pale face silently watched on, Josiah sat cross-legged on the robe and began tending to his own wounds. He pulled off his buckskin shirt and twisted himself around to get a good look at his shoulder. “I nearly went under with that shot,” he remarked, knowing full well that Emma was listening. “That crazy young Blackfoot jumped the gun, and started shooting afore he was supposed to. It plumb took his elder by surprise, and even though his gun were loaded, he hesitated a mite too long.” Josiah glanced over to Emma and grinned broadly. “That were all I needed to get him, and get him good! Lookit,” he proudly showed off his wound to the woman, “fer all that, the ball only grazed me!” Josiah picked up his buckskin shirt and his face screwed in displeasure. “It sure left a good rip, though.”

Josiah got up and went to his packhorse, returning a short while later with an awl and some sinew. He punched the awl into the leather and then forced the sinew through the holes he had made. Then he pulled the leather tight and tied it off.

Emma’s breathing had slowed and her strength expended by the constant drain of emotion she was presently enduring.

“I wanna hear you say it!” demanded Josiah, his face only inches from hers.

Emma felt the full weight of Josiah bearing down on her body.

“Say it!” he growled.

“I won’t lie with anyone else but you,” she finally mumbled.

“And who am I?” Josiah squeezed her wrists until her hands tingled.

“You’re my husband,” whimpered Emma.

“Say it again!”

“You’re my husband.” Emma’s face was getting quite pale now, and Josiah was beginning to think he might have pushed her too far.

“If I let you up, you promise not to run?” he asked.

“I promise.”

Josiah climbed off Emma and she struggled to sit up. Her leg was hurting something fierce, and when she touched it, her face lit up with pain.

“I’d better git a look at that,” said Josiah, brusquely pushing back her dress and petticoats without even a “May I?”

Emma grimaced, unwilling to look at the wound.

“It’s deep,” declared Josiah, getting to his feet soberly. “I need to fetch you back to camp.”

“I’m too tired,” Emma shook off the hand that tried to help her up. “I want to stay here.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” he scolded.

Her emotions numb, Emma curled up on her side and shut her eyes. Perhaps this was all a bad dream that would go away with sleep.

“That wound needs tending to, Emma.” Unwilling to wait any longer for her compliance, Josiah hoisted Emma over his shoulder and started back for camp.

Draped over Josiah’s shoulder, Emma was seeing the world entirely upside down and from the vantage of his backside. The leather fringe on the bottom of his buckskin shirt swayed and danced back and forth as he moved, and for awhile the hypnotic movement entertained Emma. Then she noticed that the seat of his leather britches were black, while the rest of his buckskins were mostly dark brown. Why was that? It wasn’t easy to think too hard with so much blood rushing to her head, but Emma finally concluded that it was because Josiah sat in the saddle so much of the time.

“And we have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents.  His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship…” (Quran 31:14)

In the time of Prophet Muhammad, a man asked permission to go on a military expedition.  The Prophet asked the man if he had a mother, when he replied yes, Prophet Muhammad said, “Stay with her because Paradise lies beneath her feet”.  (Ahmad, Al-Nasai)  What wonderful imagery these words invoke:  Mothers and children gazing at each other with love and gratitude.  Tiny hands closed within larger hands.  A touch to the face in times of stress and illness, or the warmth of a loving mother’s voice.  Images of mothers nurturing and caring for their children, in health or sickness, in good times, or trying times.  Paradise lies at the feet of mothers; but what exactly do these words mean?  Simply, the gates of Paradise are open for those who cherish and respect their mothers.

The role of the mother in the Islamic family is as equally important if not more as the role of the father, who is the provider and protector of his family.  Not only does she go through both the joys and difficulties of pregnancy and giving birth, she dedicates the whole of her life to nurturing and caring for her children.  It is her responsibility to raise and to educate them to be righteous and pious human beings.  She cooks, cleans, nurtures and educates, she is also responsible for their spiritual, emotional and physical health and well-being.  In return, children owe their mothers care, love, affection, respect and dutifulness.  The task God assigned to mothers is large and sometimes overwhelming.  Accordingly, the reward for a righteous mother is nothing less than Paradise and in this life, she is esteemed and honoured.

Who is Most Worthy of Good Companionship?

In a hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad, a man came to the Prophet asking, ‘Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?  The Prophet said, your mother.  The man said, ‘Then who?’  The Prophet said, then your mother.  The man further asked, ‘Then who?’  The Prophet said, then your mother.  The man asked again, ‘Then who?’  The Prophet replied, then your father. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

From only these two sayings of Prophet Muhammad, we are able to understand the importance of mothers in Islam.  However, in these days of materialism it is easy to forget that God obligated us to honour our parents, especially our mothers.  Sometimes we find ourselves uttering words of contempt or complaining about our parents.  This sort of behaviour is not from Islam.

God reminds us that Prophet John (known as the Baptist) was dutiful towards his parents both loving them and obeying them[1].  He said:

“O John!  Hold fast the Scripture.  And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.  And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins and he was righteous.  And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to God or to his parents).” (Quran 19:12-14)

Additionally, in the Quran, we are able to hear the words of Jesus; he describes himself by coupling  his obedience to God with his duties towards his mother Mary.

“Verily!  I am a slave of God.  He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined  on me prayer, and alms, as long as I live, and dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest.” (Quran 19:30-32)

As busy as our lives may be it is of great benefit to look back at the lives of the Prophets, and our righteous predecessors, to see how they treated their parents, particularly their mothers.

The Companions’ Behaviour

Abdullah ibn Omar, a leading scholar from among Prophet Muhammad’s companions once saw a man carrying his mother on his back and going around the Holy House in Mecca[2].  He did not complain or show any signs of annoyance; rather he kept repeating a line of poetry comparing himself to a camel.  He looked at Abdullah ibn Omar and asked him whether by so doing he discharged his debt to his mother.  Ibn Omar said, “No.  You have not even paid back one twinge of the pain she felt when giving birth to you”.

Another companion from the early days of Islam, Dhibyan ibn Ali ath-Thowree also used to travel with his mother to Mecca.  The journey was long and very hot; on the side of the road during their travels, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water.  He would then turn to his mother and say, “Mother, sit in this water to cool yourself.”

Muslims who are obedient to God can never be unmindful or unkind to their parents.  Great reward is offered to those who treat their parents, especially their mothers, with affection and gentleness, but a stern warning is also given.  The danger of disrespect is illustrated in the following saying of Prophet Muhammad.

A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said, “A young man is dying and people are asking him to say there is no god but God, but he is unable to do so.  “The Prophet then asked, “Did this man offer prayers?”  The answer was yes.  The Prophet then went to see the man and tried to encourage him to say there is no god but God.  Still he was unable to pronounce the words.  Prophet Muhammad then called for the dying man’s mother.  The mother he had persistently disobeyed.

When she appeared, the Prophet asked, ‘Respected lady, is he your son?”  She replied yes.  He then asked, “O respected lady, if we threaten to throw your son into a raging fire, would you recommend him to be forgiven?”  The lady replied that she would definitely ask him to be forgiven.  The Prophet then said to her, “Then declare, making God and me your witnesses, that you are now pleased with him.”  The old woman readily declared, “O God, you and your Prophet are my witnesses that I am pleased with this beloved son of mine.”  Then Prophet then turned to the dying man and asked him to recite, “There is no god but God, He is the One and has no partners and I witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.”  (At Tabarani, Ahmad)

Because of his mother’s forgiveness, the dying man was able to recite the words that, by the Grace and Mercy of God, may have allowed him to enter Paradise.  The good treatment of parents can be the key to Paradise, on the other hand, bad behaviour towards them may result in a punishment in hellfire.

“Ma’am!” a voice called out from behind.

Finding no place to hide, Emma ran as fast as her wounded leg would carry her. When she felt a hand catch hold of her dress, she screamed uncontrollably.

“Have you gone plumb crazy?” shouted Josiah, struggling to get his arms around her to hold her still.

“Don’t kill me!” she screamed, gripping the arms holding her around the waist. “Please, don’t kill me!”

“Calm down, Ma’am!” Josiah’s voice was getting more agitated by the moment, until he finally pushed her to the forest floor and weighted her down with his body.

As she squirmed beneath him, Emma’s hand touched the still dripping, gruesome trophy hanging from Josiah’s belt; it rapidly sent her into renewed hysterics.

Josiah reached for his belt and tossed aside the offending scalp. Then he pinned Emma’s arms to the ground by her wrists.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you!” he huffed into her face. The adrenaline from battle was still fresh in his veins, and his heart was pounding so loudly it nearly drowned out her voice.

“You’re just like them!” she cried.

“I never said I was no angel, Emma!”

“That man was still alive!”

“They was the enemy!” Josiah argued. “If I hadn’t done it to them, they would’ve gladly done it to me!”

Emma shook her head. “That doesn’t make it right!”

It wasn’t a surprise to discover that she had religion, for Josiah had figured as much by the way her father had mumbled God’s name in prayer before death.

By now, Emma was weeping pitifully beneath him, horrified at this man who had taken her as his wife.

“Now, now,” Josiah tried to soothe her, “I ain’t all that bad.” His conscience smarted a bit from his lie. Not liking what he knew Emma must be thinking about him, Josiah tried to distract her by running his hand down her arm. When Emma’s sobs broke off in a gasp of inadvertent pleasure, Josiah saw his chance for a little revenge. “Stop blaming yourself fer having a good time,” he chided.

When Emma felt the humiliation of his remark, it filled her with indignation and confused shame. By the look on her face, Josiah knew she was still struggling to reconcile her senses with what her upbringing had taught her was right.

“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t enjoy last night?” he laughed at her mockingly.

“I can’t be married to you,” answered Emma. “You aren’t a Christian.”

It is important to always choose our words wisely, but especially vital when we are doing affirmations. Our words are taken literally by our minds. I heard a story that illustrated this exact point! A few years back, a woman shared with me a story about her daughter. Her daughter wanted to increase her wealth. The affirmation she used was: “I want to earn more money.” Well, earn it she did. Her work load doubled. Yes, she was wealthier, but she had to EARN that increase in wealth. Bummer. What started out as a positive intention went honestly awry with an unintended consequence. Think about the words you choose for your affirmations.
How do they describe the results you want? How do they make you feel? Really use your words to accurately portray exactly the results you intend to achieve.
If you want your results to come easily, effortlessly and joyously, say that. If you want to feel light, relaxed, peaceful, content, blessed, say that. Include it all!

Below you will find a list of over 350 positive words for your perusing. As you look over the list, pay attention to how you feel. Imagine having that word in your life as a reality. Which words do you get excited by? Which words move you? Which words bring you to tears? Include those in your affirmations.