Rejection hurts. But it didn’t hurt enough to make J.K. Rowling stop trying.

Rowling’s book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” went to 12 publishing houses before finally being accepted. She went on to be the first female to become a billionaire author.

You can use Rowling’s 12 rejections to motivate you!

This week Dr. Rob Gilbert and I are featuring a multi-media seminar on “Motivation by the Numbers.” He’s doing it on Success Hotline (973) 743-4690 and I’m blogging it here. If you have a number that motivates you, please let us know.

Rowling spoke at the 2008 Harvard commencement and urged the graduates to take chances.

“Some failure in life is inevitable,” she said. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.”

Imagine the publishers — all 12 of them — that rejected Rowling! They missed out on a fortune.

Said author Mark Amend, “Rejection doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough; it means the other person failed to notice what you have to offer.”

*** *** *** *** ***

Thank you for visiting Total Game Plan. If your team, group or business needs a motivational speaker, please email coachtully @ totalgameplan.com. Here are some other resources for your success:

“Think Better, Win More!” will give you a mental game to match your physical game.

To get better at anything, check out “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success.”

Do you coach females? Are you a female athlete, or the parent of one? Here’s “Was It Something I Said? A Guide to Coaching Female Athletes” by Vanessa Sullivan and Mike Tully

Need some motivation? Everyone needs it now and then. Open any page of “Thank God You’re Lazy! The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back” by Dr. Rob Gilbert and Mike Tully.

Are you a teacher, boss or sports coach? Here’s “Ten Things Great Coaches Know” by Mike Tully and Gary Pritchard.

Want to have your best basketball season ever? Here’s “Basketball: What Great Players Know that You Don’t Know,” by Mike Tully and Gio Grassi.