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The Australian author of Being Happy tried studying law but didn't find it suitable. So at 25, he decided to write a book. His first attempt was rejected 77 times.
Andrew Matthews, now 66, tells Joel Chua why failing many times is better than not trying, and what he thinks is the secret to being happy.
Andrew Matthews in a 1988 Singapore bookfair (Photo: Andrew Matthews)
Andrew Matthews in a school in Singapore in 1989 (Photo: Andrew Matthews)
(Photo: Andrew Matthews)
On finding joy in sadness:
I came across people who had maybe been through serious illness, or they'd gone broke, or they'd even lost loved ones way too soon. One family I remember stuck in my mind; their house had just burned down, and they were one of the happiest families I ever met. And I thought, How can this be?
On the importance of failure:
My first experience with trying to be an author was heartbreaking. It took me 77 rejections to get a book published. We learn a lot from failure ... It really doesn't matter how many times we fail, as long as we keep going. And it's not failure that really crushes us. What hurts most is never having tried.
On going through difficulty:
Whatever's going on in our life, we can make it better by how we see it, and then by what we do. So step one, instead of feeling like victims, we say to ourselves, how can I see some purpose in what I'm going through right now, even though it's so difficult?
(This interview was first broadcast on 15 Septemeber 2024.)
Listen to Andrew's story on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.
If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Source: CNA/jj
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FAST
The Australian author of Being Happy tried studying law but didn't find it suitable. So at 25, he decided to write a book. His first attempt was rejected 77 times.
Andrew Matthews, now 66, tells Joel Chua why failing many times is better than not trying, and what he thinks is the secret to being happy.
Andrew Matthews in a 1988 Singapore bookfair (Photo: Andrew Matthews)
Andrew Matthews in a school in Singapore in 1989 (Photo: Andrew Matthews)
(Photo: Andrew Matthews)
On finding joy in sadness:
I came across people who had maybe been through serious illness, or they'd gone broke, or they'd even lost loved ones way too soon. One family I remember stuck in my mind; their house had just burned down, and they were one of the happiest families I ever met. And I thought, How can this be?
On the importance of failure:
My first experience with trying to be an author was heartbreaking. It took me 77 rejections to get a book published. We learn a lot from failure ... It really doesn't matter how many times we fail, as long as we keep going. And it's not failure that really crushes us. What hurts most is never having tried.
On going through difficulty:
Whatever's going on in our life, we can make it better by how we see it, and then by what we do. So step one, instead of feeling like victims, we say to ourselves, how can I see some purpose in what I'm going through right now, even though it's so difficult?
(This interview was first broadcast on 15 Septemeber 2024.)
Listen to Andrew's story on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.
If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Source: CNA/jj
Get the CNA app
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