The loser who never gave up! | Motivational Stories
≡ Menu

The loser who never gave up!

When he was a little boy his uncle called him “Sparky”, after a comic-strip horse named Spark Plug. School was all but impossible for Sparky.

He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. He also flunked Latin, algebra and English. And his record in sports wasn’t any better. Though he did manage to make the school’s golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. Oh, there was a consolation match; he lost that too.

Throughout his youth, Sparky was awkward socially. It wasn’t that the other students disliked him; it’s just that no one really cared all that much. In fact, Sparky was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours. There’s no way to tell how he might have done at dating. He never once asked a girl out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down… or perhaps laughed at. Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates… everyone knew it. So he learned to live with it. He made up his mind early that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.

One thing WAS important to Sparky, however — drawing. He was proud of his artwork. No one else appreciated it. But that didn’t seem to matter to him. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the the yearbook. The editors rejected the concept. Despite this brush-off, Sparky was convinced of his ability. He even decided to become an artist.

So, after completing high school, Sparky wrote Walt Disney Studios. They asked for samples of his artwork. Despite careful preparation, it too was rejected. One more confirmation that he was a loser.

But Sparky still didn’t give up. Instead, he decided to tell his own life’s story in cartoons. The main character would be a little boy who symbolized the perpetual loser and chronic underachiever. You know him well. Because Sparky’s cartoon character went on to become a cultural phenomenon of sorts. People readily identified with this “lovable loser.” He reminded people of the painful and embarrassing moments from their own past, of their pain and their shared humanity. The character soon became famous worldwide: “Charlie Brown.” And Sparky, the boy whose many failures never kept him from trying, whose work was rejected again and again,… is the highly successful cartoonist Charles Schultz. His cartoon strip, “Peanuts,” continues to inspire books, T-shirts and Christmas specials, reminding us, as someone once commented, that life somehow finds a way for all of us, even the losers.

Sparky’s story reminds us of a very important principle in life. We all face difficulty and discouragement from time to time. We also have a choice in how we handle it. If we’re persistent, if we hold fast to our faith, if we continue to develop the unique talents God has given us, who knows what can happen? We may end up with an insight and an ability to inspire that comes only through hardship. In the end, there are no “losers” with God. Some winners just take longer to develop!

By CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

Charles Schulz (November 26, 1922–February 12, 2000)


About Charles Schulz’s cartoon:

The Peanuts Cartoon

Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward.

The strip is the most popular and influential in the history of the comic strip, with 17,897 strips published in all, making it “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being”, according to Robert Thompson of Syracuse University. At its peak, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages.


More reading:

{ 44 comments… add one }
  • Arun Kumar.T October 22, 2016, 9:37 pm

    I’m really inspired with learned good reality lesson. It has been giving the best impact to the Personal, Professional, Social & Spritual life.

  • Olivia sihlamgu October 17, 2016, 9:30 am

    Wow I’m so greatful about this story it just inspired me to never giveup to my dreams to God be the glory thanx

  • Adi parida May 11, 2015, 4:06 am

    Now i realized life. Great loser bio.

  • Aanu January 13, 2015, 6:12 am

    Thanks for your story, your story makes me to have faith in life that am going to be successful in future, if I did not loose hope.

  • Himanshu December 2, 2014, 4:49 am

    Thanks !!!!

  • Sammy Kuri August 3, 2014, 10:13 pm

    Thanks, for being a looser & knowing that looser are always the winner at the end

  • Kritika dogra April 25, 2014, 10:47 am

    It’s simply awesome… I loved it… inspires me to face my teachers even if I am not scoring very well … Thnx to whoever wrote it….

  • Hany chan February 23, 2014, 11:18 pm

    VERY TOUCHING STORY

    LOVE IT!!!!

    NEVER EVER GIVE UP

  • Zahida khan February 15, 2014, 2:18 pm

    It’s a heart touching story…. Love it!!! <3

  • Ashra January 24, 2014, 2:07 am

    Pain change people, but it also makes people stronger.

  • Sakthi Devi September 30, 2013, 4:38 am

    Very inspiring story. There is no looser in this world.

  • Tamanna August 25, 2013, 10:14 am

    I really need this being a LOOSER.

  • Kabit August 23, 2013, 3:50 pm

    Mind blowing story. Really touching line, “Some winners just take longer to develop!”

  • Lav dewangan August 5, 2013, 10:58 pm

    I pleased to read this kind of inspirational stories.

  • Utsav Barve July 26, 2013, 2:34 am

    Really it is a nice story, which can inspire others too.

  • Tamanna May 24, 2013, 10:08 am

    If there were no failures, there were no winners. It means-FAILURE IS THE PILLAR OF SUCCESS.

  • Shiva May 1, 2013, 5:23 am

    It is inspired life of living, never ever give up.

  • Abhishek Saxena April 17, 2013, 11:28 pm

    Always remember that u r not a loser until u give up….don’t care about others……really nice message….

  • Paul Bii March 5, 2013, 2:31 pm

    Awesome. God loves us all even those we take and consider as lowly in the society.

  • Albert March 5, 2013, 1:50 pm

    Really superb story! Thanks a ton…

  • Lisa February 21, 2013, 8:00 am

    Awesome…..I feel great after reading this story.Thanks for sharing.

  • Hassaan February 16, 2013, 7:44 am

    Very much inspirational!

  • Duyilemi olumide February 15, 2013, 3:27 am

    So inspiring!

  • Rahul December 29, 2012, 2:25 pm

    This story reminds the film ”TARE ZAMEEN PAR”. I can’t controll tears watching that movie, it reminds my childhood days, also there were some clever students who used to tease me and didn’t help me at the time of examination, but now I am more qualified than them, but still presently I am facing failures and discouragements but I won’t give up and some or the other day I will acheive something special.

  • Sabina December 27, 2012, 8:05 am

    It was really heart touching.

  • Thank you December 23, 2012, 6:23 am

    After reading 2 stories on this website I came in tears. Before I always gave excuse to myself and other that I am not capable the standards are too high , I am not too good, I have nobody of my own in my life but now I realize that I can do things too. Thanks.

  • Dreamer December 15, 2012, 1:33 pm

    Awesome!!! I needed this, I have been trying the same thing everyday for years and I fail each and everyday at doing it (or those) but I never give up, I was losing moral but this page made me all normal again and so I would continue doing those as long as it takes and I wont ever quit!!!

    Thank you.

  • Bidyut Naskar November 5, 2012, 12:32 pm

    Thanks for good moral stories, I love to read for me and for others.
    Naskar

  • Avin Rebello November 5, 2012, 5:21 am

    Nice and very much inspirational story……

  • Dennie November 3, 2012, 12:37 am

    There are always things to learn in life. Thanks for reminding me. Excellent. Never give up.

  • Kumar November 1, 2012, 10:45 am

    I believe it. In my failure period, I was alone with my own thought how to achieve success through proper choice, persistent and hardship…….. you never be a looser, will be winner.

  • Param October 27, 2012, 2:54 am

    A story related to my life…..a loser, loser, loser, who will one day become winner, winner….just wait and watch all of you..

  • Kaitlan October 26, 2012, 9:18 pm

    I loved this very inspirational story. For me, a good message not to give up.

  • Sherin October 22, 2012, 9:41 am

    Awesome!

  • Arif from Bangladesh October 15, 2012, 2:49 am

    Yes, there are some people in our society like him.

  • Vatsal sanjay October 8, 2012, 10:42 am

    Nice story.. I really liked the concept..:-)

  • Phanice October 8, 2012, 3:48 am

    I’m inspired. It was funny yet great lessons learnt from it, I’m just inspired.

  • Ladynoden October 3, 2012, 10:06 am

    Peanuts’ <3 forever;

    I grew up with you. You've helped me understand some situations I was going through when I was a child.

    Congrat's and thank you, Charles Schulz’s; Mostly for knowing your quiche in life and having the abilities to capture the audiences to success, and also through my inner child; even today I stil watch 'Peanuts', there is a place in my heart thanking you for writing your story in the cartoon 'Peanuts'.

    Sincerly
    Ladynoden

  • Margaret October 1, 2012, 9:33 am

    We have the potential to do anything, let no one despise you.

  • Ashish September 28, 2012, 10:16 pm

    Great story…never loose hope.. and never ever give up… losers are those who never try to get up once they fall..

  • Lady T September 28, 2012, 2:18 pm

    Winners never quit and quitters never win.

  • Chanu September 26, 2012, 7:39 pm

    Encouraging story. If there was no failure there would be no success.

  • Ajadi September 26, 2012, 2:21 pm

    That is a good inspirational story. I like it.

  • Bkas September 26, 2012, 11:44 am

    Some
    winners just take longer to
    develop!

    Just awesome. . . . feels good reading all these inspirational stories.

Leave a Comment