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A.J. Jacobs (Twitter, LinkedIn), an author and experimenter, has spent his entire life dealing with rejection and pain. But he’s used those struggles to create a mindset that sets him apart from his peers, and allows him to succeed where so many others fail.

Today, he’s a New York Times Bestselling Author, and writes for many publications, such as Esquire Magazine, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and New York Magazine. He’s also appeared on television shows such as Oprah and Good Morning America.

His latest book is It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree.

“I had delusional optimism, which I think is a very important tool. The chances of failure are so high and you have to keep banging your head against the wall to not be dissuaded by rejection.”

To find out more about A.J. or to buy one of his books, visit his website.

This episode originally appeared on The Journey! To learn more about The Journey and to subscribe, go to mission.org/thejourney.