Overcoming disappointments and setbacks are a huge part of life. Show me a person who always gets exactly what they want all the time and I’ll put on my Superwoman cape now, and save the world from pain, anguish, poverty and despair too! Yeah right!

The true definition of success is not about winning, but rather how you deal with adversity or failure, then come back from loss. What makes someone a real “winner” is how they reinvent, reposition or repurpose themselves after failure. Think of inspiring movie themes or stories that have a compelling protagonist who had to push past seemingly insurmountable odds, or painful setbacks and heart-wrenching disappointment – and you’ll also see this underdog propel from rags to riches; from distraught to distinguished; from hurt to hero. That’s success!

10 Examples of Movies with Inspirational Themes:

1. Pursuit of Happiness (true story about journey, hardship, and determination)
2. The Blindside (true story about overcoming odds and limitations)
3. Soul Surfer (true story about persistence after life threatening event)
4. Slumdog Millionaire (surmounting limitations and hardship)
5. Billy Elliot (pursuing your dream, despite others expectations)
6. Pay it Forward (being a “game-changer” acting with purpose)
7. Cast Away (the power of survival and never giving up)
8. 127 Hours (true story about hope, survival and determination)
9. Forrest Gump (perseverance and hard work triumph over smarts)
10. Little Miss Sunshine (a dysfunctional family, pulls together through tragedy)

Pushing through disappointments, setbacks and obstacles takes grit, strength, persistence, inner confidence and the inner self-belief that you know you have what it takes. Deep down, you know that you can do it.

In his book “The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common” Richard St. John conducted 10 years of research and 500 face-to-face interviews with extraordinarily successful people, including, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, Richard Branson, Jane Goodall and the Google Founders. He culls his findings down to these 8 common traits:

1. Passion
2. Work
3. Focus
4. Push
5. Ideas
6. Improve
7. Serve
8. Persist

What do you want to shift, change or repurpose to write your own success story?