J.K Rowling! The name needs no introduction. We all know this creative wizard of an author
who churned out tales of fantasy in the form of the famous Harry Potter series! Be those tiny
tots who jump around with school bags on their shoulders or the elderly people who stretch
out their legs on the patio and pick a “Harry Potter and the half-blood prince” with a gleam in
their eyes; we all love “Harry Potter”!
Ever wondered how the life of the creative head that spun the tales of awe-inspiring tales were?
Let us unlock the chambers of the secret in her inspirational life of courage, perseverance, hard work
and above all belief in oneself and one’s talents!
and above all belief in oneself and one’s talents!
“It Matters Not What Someone Is Born, But What They Grow To Be”
Let us begin the tale with this well-known quote by the author herself. How many of us
blame it on our fate for the failures we faced in life? Let us pick a cue from this brave woman
who fought against all so-called hurdles life threw on her and went on to become the most
loved author with her books translated to over 73 languages and sold millions of copies
all around the globe.
Rowling was born and brought up in the borders of England, in the southwest part to be
exact; along with a small family that comprised of her father, mother, and sister. Little
Rowling was a born writer. Writing was inscribed in her blood, and she wrote her first book
"Rabbit" by the age of 6, an age when we were busy fumbling with spellings and grammar.
“What’s Coming Will Come And We’ll Just Have To Meet It When It Does”
As she grew up, life started throwing perils on her path, beginning with the strained
relationship between her parents. Quarrels and disagreements were an everyday affair,
and soon her father left her mother alone with their two teenage daughters. But, that was
not all! The next blow was her mother being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Soon began
the turmoil of long 10 years of battle with the disease and it slowly took a toll on the family!
Rowling describes the most devastating day in her life as the day her mother died. It was a
new year in 1991. The day when the whole world rejoiced and wished each other, a 25-year-old
Rowling sat with hot tears streaming down her eyes. Her mother passed away 6 months after s
he began penning down the first book of the famous Harry Potter series. It was a delayed
train which sowed the seeds of Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger and Ronald Weasley in
the magical fingers of Rowling.
After her mother's death, Rowling started putting bits and bits together and started life
afresh with a new love that entered her life. His name was Jorge Arantes. But, the couple
couldn't stand the test of time, and soon their lives took a tumultuous turn with a miscarriage
and a rocky marriage that lasted for only 13 months. She was again left alone with no job,
no one to support and a baby girl to care for. She just had her daughter Jessica and 3 chapters
of Harry Potter as her only priceless possessions.
“Rock Bottom Became The Solid Foundation On Which I Rebuilt My Life”
She lived alone in a cramped apartment and slipped into a deep depression with the thoughts
of suicide as an escape route ringing bells in her mind. She relied on the state benefits to live
life and kept on writing and writing. To get relief from the monotonous life she used to step
out and write Harry Potter while sitting in cafes with Jessica sleeping soundly in the pram near
her.
Soon, she finished her first book and started trying to get it published. But publishers after
publishers kept on rejecting her book and her mailbox was flooded with rejection letters.
“By Every Usual Standard, I Was The Biggest Failure I Knew”
She still didn’t lose hope and kept on trying to get her book published. Finally, due to
her continued belief in herself and her talents, Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London
agreed to publish the first book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Soon enough
her books started garnering attention, and people started loving Harry Potter and its author,
J.K Rowling! She rapidly rose up like a phoenix above the ashes and rewrote her history to be
one of the famous authors her generation has ever seen!
The tale of Rowling teaches us that, no matter how many failures you face, how many rejections
you face, how many people let you down, how many people sneer and laugh at you; still you
can taste success if you refuse to accept defeat and move on with perseverance and belief in yourself
and your skills.
I stumbled upon this inspirational tale of Rowling when I myself was facing some major setbacks in
life. I was almost ready to give up on myself and that is when I happened to converse with one
Tirunelveli and Chennai. She narrated the tale of Rowling and asked me whether I had to face
all the troubles Rowling had to face. My answer was no! That single question opened my eyes,
and I realized that failures are indeed stepping stones to success and I can also taste success if I try
again and believe in myself. Soon, life began to change for the good, and I realized there are indeed
two sides to any coin! Let us draw inspiration from this tale of perseverance and start believing
in ourselves and never be belittled in the face of failures and rejections!
“You Control Your Own Life, Your Own Will Is Extremely Powerful!”
