Looking
back, as we approach another year end and tabulating whether my successes have
been more than my failures. It’s clear that failure has left its imprint.
The hardest
blow came in the form of failing a major exam. The pain was crippling. It did
knock me out for a bit. But after all, how do you climb back onto the saddle
when the horse has flung you off: when your plans fall to pieces? Life will
constantly test your resolve and level of commitment.
If only we
could have patience in the midst of our trials. Coping with rejection and
apparent failure is a serious matter. The tragic death of John Kennedy
Toole (American novelist born in 1937) screams this truth. No publisher would
touch Toole’s book. He began suffering from paranoia and depression. In a vain
attempt to kill the pain, he committed suicide at the age of 31. Toole's
novels were rejected during his lifetime. However, posthumously, he won the
Pulitzer Prize in 1980.
If you focus
on positive thinking, even the harshest defeat is only a stepping-stone.
Never let
Success get to your Head. Never let Failure get to your Heart. “I didn’t get
consumed by losses,” said the legendary NFL coach Don Shula, “and I
didn’t get overwhelmed by successes.”
Many of us
have stifled our life by heeding some misguided critic who implied we were not
good enough. Few things in life are certain but failure is.
Failure
seems as something to be avoided at all cost. Although it leaves a sour taste, we
should embrace failure for the learning opportunity it is. Failure is the
oldest teacher, and perhaps the wisest of them all. Some things are impossible
to completely grasp without first falling down.
We live in a
culture that values perfectionism and failure is often viewed as a sign of
weakness. People become so fixated on not failing that they never move forward.
When it comes to failing, our egos are our own worst enemies. It's
easier to accept failure in private, but once the failure is obvious to
everyone around you, it's becomes harder to accept it. Holding onto failures
for way too long is destructive.
The
Importance of Failure
·
It’s a learning Experience – Failure
drives us to change. It represents opportunity and growth. It gives new
direction. There is always one or more lessons to learn in what you may see as
a failure.
·
It builds Character – We learn how to
behave when we finally accomplish our goals. The humility we gain through our
failures allows us to better handle and appreciate success.
·
It makes you Stronger – It’s with
persistence we overcome failure to achieve success . When people fail, they
feel unaccomplished, and so they try again and again, until they finally reach
success.
·
Your chances of Succeeding Increases –
Failures are the pillars for success. You gain experiences you could not get
any other way. Some things can only be learned through trial and error.
·
Failure is a type of Freedom – Why?
Because the worst has happened. Now, you can relax and rebuild again.
Success does
not come easy. Everyone must face one hurdle after another. If you think that
once you have the success you crave, you can relax, you are sadly mistaken.
Failure can
be costly, not only emotionally but financially as well. Some industries are
very unforgiving as one or more failures may instantly get you the boot. The
worse thing anyone can do, is not learn from failures.
In recent
years, more and more executives have embraced the point of view, that failure
is a prerequisite to invention. The fastest way to succeed,” IBM’s Thomas
Watson, Sr., once said, “is to double your failure rate.” The growing
acceptance of failure is changing the way companies approach innovation.
However, distinguishing
between excusable and inexcusable failure is crucial. Managing failure is
key. Some mistakes are unpardonable for example producing and marketing a
dysfunctional product caused by poor quality control. Encouraging failure
doesn’t mean abandoning or supervision or respect for sound practices. Managing
for failure requires leaders to be more engaged, not less.
I would like
to share 20 Powerful Quotes on failure:
1. "You
always pass failure on your way to success." ~Mickey Rooney
2. "A
failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the
experience." ~Elbert Hubbard
3.
"Failure is the tuition you pay for success." ~Walter Brunell
4.
"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition is not only a waste
of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have. ~Dale Carnegie
5.
"Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is
called failure." ~Soichiro Honda
6. "The
season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” ~Paramahansa
Yogananda
7.
"Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on
frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe." ~Sumner Redstone
8.
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." ~Truman
Capote
9. "There
is no failure. Only feedback." ~Robert Allen
10.
"Remember that failure is an event, not a person." ~Zig ziglar
11.
"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong
enough." ~Og Mandino
12.
"Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the
lessons of failure." ~Bill Gates
13. "Do
not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again." ~Richard
Branson
14. "I
can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not
trying." ~Michael Jordan
15."
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an
equal or greater benefit." ~Napoleon Hill
16.
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more
intelligently." ~Henry Ford
17." My
great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with
your failure." ~Abraham Lincoln
18. "I
am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step
forward." ~Thomas Edison
19.
"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. "~F. Scott
Fitzgerald
20. Our best
success often come after our greatest disappointments. ~Henry Ward Beecher
Finally,
don’t let the fear of failure hold you back.
Remember to
take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.
Always find joy in your journey for as George Bailey said it best “It’s a
Wonderful Life!”
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