J.K. Rowling Success Story Spreads A ‘Magic Inside Us’: Inspiration Unlocked
Last Update on July 9, 2020 : Published on July 9, 2020
When we talk about the famous Harry Potter series, the name of Joanne Rowling or commonly known as J. K. Rowling comes along. J.K. Rowling is the first billionaire who earned through her writing skills, won numerous awards and is still making millions of dollars with Harry Potter books. A proud author, indeed! But was the journey to success so easy as it sounds?
We have all read or seen the fantasizing world of Harry Potter, even wished to study in Hogwarts but little did we know that the author or creator went through really tough times to stand where she is today. Let’s find out how she raised herself up after hitting the rock bottom and facing deep depression.
What Were The Reasons For Rowling’s Depression?
“I was the biggest failure I knew.” – J.K. Rowling
1. Mother’s Demise
Even though she was born in a comfortable family environment, her teenage years were caught up in difficulties when her mother was identified with a terminal disease. When her mother died in 1990, she took it really hard on herself. She left her city and moved to Portugal in order to find new opportunities.
2. Separation
After getting married to a TV journalist, she gave birth to her daughter, Jessica. J.K. Rowling was happy but this happiness was again short-lived. She got divorced right after 13 months of marriage. This separation was a shock to her and now she was the only parent to grow a new-born. However, she started with her book then but her divorce forced her to move to a new city with a mere three chapters of Harry Potter in the bag.
3. Poor Financial Condition
The pain of separation was piled up when she came to Edinburg but was survived by the state benefits only. Having no money in the pocket and a daughter to raise, she started writing her book in different cafes with Jessica sleeping in the pram nearby. Joblessness, the responsibility of a single parent, and poverty are some of the reasons why she went into depression and even considered suicide as an option.
4. Rejection Of Harry Potter By Most Publishers
Even though she did not have money for photocopying the 90,000 words book and had no money to afford a computer, she typed the novel for each publisher differently. Alas, all of them had rejected the book and she completely lost her own and the book’s confidence.
The Rise
“We do not need magic to change the world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.” – J.K. Rowling
Her patience and dedication were the few things that helped her to sweep off all the hard times and made her a billionaire in 2011, as per Forbes magazine. Thankfully, she didn’t let herself take a negative decision on suicide and the roller coaster was now coming up in her life. Things turned for better when a small publishing company called Bloomsbury decided to go ahead with the novel. It was only because the 8-year-old daughter of the CEO fell in love with the storyline and fantasy we all love today. We are aware of the rest of the journey that she and Harry Potter traveled together.
In her words “So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belong. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
What Did We Learn From J.K. Rowling’s Success Story?
1. Dedication
J.K. Rowling has shown everyone that a dedicated mind towards your goal is enough to achieve success in life. Even though she was facing extremities and harsh times, she did not opt for other options and kept herself focused in writing the book.
2. Admiring What You Possess
Apart from dedicating herself to writing Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling kept admiring her daughter as the gift in life, being alive as a possession and even thanking failure for giving her inner security which was never attained by passing examinations.
3. Patience
Patience is an important key in achieving success. Things do not land by your side overnight. There are barriers, glitches, hardships but again your patience and ability to stay calm are the essentials in order to pass through.
4. Failure Makes You Fearless
You have failed once? You have failed twice or more? Are you scared of failure anymore? Probably, No! But you have become stronger and reached a risk-free zone. You become a person who dares to dream and of course, those who dream also have the capacity to handle failure. So did happen with J.K. Rowling’s success story.
You Are Stronger Than You Think
We might make lines and create boundaries for ourselves but it’s all in our mind. But we are sure that after knowing about J.K. Rowling and her success story, you would start yourself once again. When she could fight depression and suicidal thoughts while sleeping in an impoverished state, you can be thankful for reaching this story right now. Isn’t it? So cheer up and gear on!
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About The Author
Akanksha Soni
Akanksha is an active lifestyle blogger and writer at Calmsage. She has learnt various lessons on happiness and methods to fight depression through 'Gurus' as well as own experiences. An ardent practitioner of Yoga and meditation, she keeps traveling, writes and interacts with people to feel alive.
Really inspirational content...thank you Calm Sage! More power to you.
This is actually inspiring. I have read her books and I'm a big fan of her. I did not know her story and reading it gave me some hopes about my own future. Thank you
Wow that's awesome I am totally proud of you j.k Rowling keep going .