It seems to me our culture is youth-centered, technology-based, and success-oriented. Most of the time this works well for us, but it can cause high levels of frustration. In our fast-paced, microwave society we can leave the impression with our children, students, and employees that they must succeed at everything and that success must come immediately. We only need look at our history and our culture to see that success seldom comes the first time and often only after many failures. We’ll use a few examples of those who achieved high level of success after countless encounters with failure.
Our 16th President, Abe Lincoln, ran for office at least thirteen times, winning only three of the offices he attempted to gain. In fact, he lost more than one of the offices to fellow Illinoisan, Stephen Douglas; the man he defeated for President in the election of 1860. How much different might our country have been if Lincoln had given up after election number twelve. Almost any poll or selection of great presidents places Lincoln in the top two or three, usually at the very top.
As a young cartoonist Walt Disney’s Laugh-o-gram animation company in Kansas City, failed and he was burdened by indebtedness. Disney moved to California and with his brother Roy started a new company. Their first two films were not successful, and film rights were lost due to bad business decisions. After observing a family of mice, Disney came up with a new cartoon idea. Mickey Mouse was born and scores of films and several theme parks were the result of his pressing on. In his later years Disney used to laugh that,”It all started from a mouse.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, Don Shula, left the Baltimore Colts to start a new team in Miami. After early losing seasons, he developed the mantra “Failure isn’t fatal… and success isn’t final.” Shula encouraged being aggressive and trying new ideas, even with the possibility of failing. He also knew that once success was attained work would have to continue in order to stay on top. In reality we only become a failure when we quit and stop trying. Failing is a natural part of the success process. Maybe this was best stated by the late Chicago insurance millionaire W. Clement Stone in his book “The Success System That Never Fails” when he stated “Success is achieved by those who try and keep trying.”
So true failing is just part of the learning process and as long as we get back at it after failure then success will eventually be ours. Just think of all the inventors in our past if they gave up after failing one or two times we wouldn't have advanced in technology so quick. Think of all the trial and error that went into making electricity, combustion engines, planes, and all the other thing we use daily. Success comes from learning from failure and trying again... Dave
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this article Michael Jordan instantly came to the forefront of my mind. Michael Jordan is held with high honor and respect for his position, perfection and persitence in the professional sport of basketball. He is known as being one of the best in the history of the United States as far as professional basketball is concerned, but what some people do not know is that Michael Jordan was not a "shoe in". He was rejected by his high school basketball coach and told that he was terrible at basketball and should try something else. He was persistent,and kept trying to perfect his skills and now even after being retired for almost twenty years he still is in everyone's minds, mouths and heart. He is still respected as being one of the greatest players in history, and is owner of his namesake by Nike for his Jordan shoes, clothes and accessories. This is a multimillion dollar company. He never let the word NO stop him from pursuing his dream, and he is truly an inspiration to me. Plus I love his shoes!!!!
ReplyDeleteI had a supervisor that would tell me when I failed at a task, the difference between knowledge and information is that knowledge is gained when you attempt something new regardless of whether or not you succeed or not. I agree that our culture is goal oriented and influences children to succeed at everything that they do but I also believe that they need to try succeeding in everything so that they can gain the knowledge that can only get by trying. If we continue to try and fail we will gain the knowledge to succeed. Maybe this is what made Abraham Lincoln and Walt Disney so great at what they did by gaining knowledge from their failures.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Ari
Most of the important lessons I’ve learned are through some sort of trial and error. Frist jobs, my first home, first boyfriends (yikes!), first recipes.. Everything I do I think, ‘next time, I’ll do it like this..’ It very rarely occurs to me to give up. I’ve made mistakes in handling my children; I don’t always handle situations probably as well as I should. Obviously, I’m not going to throw in the towel and give up parenting all together! Failing means learning, and I’ve yet to meet a perfect being! However, if I were to run for a political office twelve times and lose most of those times, I might think better of running again. I don’t think my self-esteem could take that!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, failure is just a step towards something bigger; an integral part of success. Some say that life is a never ending process and that if we are afraid of failure than we have already failed. Sometimes things fail so that other things come together. I like how Thomas Edison puts it, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
ReplyDeleteFailing in order to succeed is a way we learn from our mistakes. When we fail, we should analyze and critique our failures, and learn from these failures. When the opportunity arises again, hopefully we are able to recount the previous "learning" experiences and choose a different path. Walt Disney made a bad business decision, and yet learned from that mistake and moved on. His legacy in known worldwide. There are various examples from the responses to this blog as well as within it. This idea is a lifetime learning process. When a child first begins to learn to walk, they fall quite often. We are not taught to give up. Eventually after multiple failures, we walk. I don't see too many people crawling as adults. This is an excellent topic, and something that many people don’t consider. Thanks for the posting.
ReplyDeleteChris Hutchings
It certainly is a state of mind as some viewed the 'failures' as learning tools whereas others take it personal and will quit trying. Fear; fear of failure, fear of what others think, fear of standing out in front..to take action, can be a powerful motivator. We can learn from setbacks, as Lincoln and because we have a message...move on.
ReplyDeleteI agree that our youth give up to easily. Although I'm sure it's more complicated than this, I'd like to say it's because we don't let them fail while they are growing up - everyone is a winner. This gives them the impression that they need to win, or succeed, at everything later in life. If they fail at something, they are presented with a feeling that they are not familiar with. We all know what failure feels like. If we were not taught to work through that feeling, then we would likely give up at the first sign of failure too. I fear that the fear of failure will continue to hold people back in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that with our culture being -centered, technology-based, and success-oriented which I agree with we lose sight of the big picture. I think that we lose sight of our self’s becoming what could be instead of what is factual. We are still in our infant state when it comes to technology what I mean by that is look at how much technology has change in the last fifty years. When you speak about President, Abe Lincoln and not quickening I agree with what you were trying to say about wining and losing. I think that I have learned more from my losses or failure then what I have gain from wining in life. We live culture where there is no winner or loser we created that culture when we teach it to our children. I am sorry that I got the wrong blog I did the Marks of Leadership on the Wednesday, February 6, 2013
ReplyDeleteThere are so many examples of persistence and success in the midst of failure. Even with these inspirational stories, many give up after a few failures. Instead of learning from their failures, people tend to blame everything but themselves for their failure. I have been guilty of this on several occasions, especially with some math classes I have taken. I had a difficult time understanding the curriculum and I would blame the teaching style of the professor, or other students for distracting me from the lecture. I did this almost every time I felt like I was failing. I failed several times before I finally learned from my mistakes and took responsibility for my failures. After I did that I was able to focus and overcome.
ReplyDeleteFailure can be so devastating, especially when it comes while trying to do something that a person really wants. I have had many failures in my past and I realized that I actually learn more from those failures than I do my successes. Think about it, if you take a practice test do you go back and check your right answers? You go back and review the wrong ones, effectively reinforcing the ones you got wrong. What about the ones you were not sure about and guessed right. You did not review those questions and may not get them right next time. It is due to our failure and learning from them that we succeed. It is also good to remember that God has ultimate control of all situations. When I was struggling in my career I was frustrated and upset. However, just 1 year later I moved and now and just months away from becoming an officer. If I had not gone through those tough times and multiple failures I would not be trying so hard to become an officer now. A person may not understand the reasoning now, but be patient and trust in the Lord. His plan will ultimately show itself in time and usually it is bigger and better than you could have originally thought.
ReplyDeleteWithout ever feeling the burn of failure, one will never realize how much effort it takes be really become successful. I have worked very hard to get to where I currently am, studying countless hours and preparing for tests and boards. It is through perhaps not being successful the first time every time that I have embraced the attitude of working very hard to accomplish the goals I want for myself long and short term. Regardless of how frustrating it can become to fail even once I have always continued to work hard towards whatever that particular goal was and always will.
ReplyDeleteI believe we all need to fail in some way to become better in our journey through life. Although at the time it is devastating, as we look back we are thankful for what we learned in the process. What separates us is those that quit and give up and those that dust themselves off and try again.
ReplyDeleteFailure stinks, no matter what aspect it's in. My husband and I tried for more than 7 years to have a baby. Finally, after more than 4 rounds of I.V.F. we were finally blessed with our twin daughters. I never had the mindset of 'giving up' even when we were faced with so many failed attempts. I just knew that after each failure, I had to have a small pity party for myself and try again. I told a friend once, "I don't know what I would have done if we didn't finally conceive the twins." She knows me very well and said, "Tammy, had you not conceived them, you would still be trying." She was right. Failure wasn't an option and even if we were led to adopt, I would have still kept up the momentum until we finally had our baby.
ReplyDeleteI think that as you mentioned failure is inevitable but how we bounce back or the fact that we don't give up is the true test of failure and success. As Shula said, “Failure isn’t fatal… and success isn’t final.” We will always have a new need for success with new challenges. With these challenges will come new thoughts and objectives and to get it right will bring many failures. After all, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
ReplyDeleteI agree. These days work places have so many choices in personal that people are scared to do anything wrong. If you fail you could be looking for another job. The problem i have is that people get promoted before there time. Supervisors and managers don't get enough time to grow and learn, everything is so fast these days you never stop. For example, my company only has two people that do the type of inspection i do. One of those individuals is me. After my first big job they made me a supervisor. I am ready for the position because of the military however it is a prime example of how fast people are moving these days.
ReplyDeleteIf at first you dont succeed, access and try again. I think that everyone has to realize that failure is certainly a part of life. I feel like today's society, in an attempt to make no child feel "left out" gives off the idea that no one fails and that we all can do everything we want. That certainly isn't true and some people aren't meant to accomplish certain task, however failure does not mean that success is not possible. I think those with tough spirit will be able to pick themself up and continue on.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you added that our culture is technology-based, because I think that is potentially the most responsible factor in our success-oriented culture -if technology includes social media. We are learning creatures, we earn from experiences and shared information. Prior to the technology age, information was not as readily available; while today, the world is at our finger tips. In the face of our children everyday, exists the fallacies of success, wrapped up and packaged as entertainment. Children see success everywhere they turn, television, magazine covers, movies, and most relevantly, the internet. But is not only the perception of the children, but the teachings of the parents. Success is force-fed to children at a rate that is unreasonable. Perhaps in our success-oriented world, the parents try to push on to their children what they failed to achieve.
ReplyDeleteI understand how it happens, but of course I don't agree with it. Not only do we push our youth to be success-driven, but we even define what success is: Money! We teach them to live everyday in pursuit of money, and they are driven and determined to acquire it. When we talk about successful people, we talk about Sam Walton, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett; we talk about lawyers, doctors, and movie stars. Its sad to say, but what do they all have in common? Money. And its such a common notion that it seems normal.
We should all be afforded the opportunity to determine our own versions of purpose, and therefore, our own versions of success. We should teach our youth this concept. And we should also teach them that an A in school isn't the only form of success. As UCLA coach John Wooden stated, "Success is doing the best within your capacity, no more, no less." So, if you get a B or a C, that can also be a success -if of course it is the best that you could do.
Failure and losing "Sucks"... Big time. It's painful. It's damaging to my fragile ego. It's humiliating at times and quite honestly it pisses me off. That said, it is my friend and something I thank God for as it molds me, humbles me, centers me and prepares me for a much greater success than that which is in front of me. By embracing the aforementioned "Suck", I am able to refine and hone my skills in order to rise to greater heights.
ReplyDeleteFantastic bit on Abe Lincoln. I really had no idea that he was pursueing presidency for such a long time and only attained it after 13 attempts. This story sort of falls along the same track records of Ron Paul at the moment. But it saddens me that todays culture is so reliable on technology and success for results but when you look at it from an objective point of view, are people actually smarter than the individuals who created our country 200 years ago? Could anyone today use nothing but the stars to navigate from England to America? Back on the failure to succeed track, I truely believe there are no shortcuts to success. Now a question that pops up in my mind, is Paris Hilton successful? Shes a multi-millionaire from inherited money, but should we define success by a $ sign? I find that a very flawed part of our society and hope to see it changed some day.
ReplyDeleteFailure has helped me become successful. I have learned many times from my mistakes and failures. I also think it is good for you to fail at a younger age because I sure would hate to have a perfect life and start failing when Im older in life. I really understand that failure is not something you can avoid, but is something that you don't quit from. I think in order to be successful, experiencing life and hurdles will help build character.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite books is the biography of Abraham Lincoln. I love his determination and ability to stand firm in his beliefs. I completely agree with you in that the coming generations expect instant results which leads to sometimes disastrous outcomes. The frustration levels seen in elementary classrooms, as early as pre-k, are just sad. I think that it is important to teach determination, patience, as well as humility. You cannot get through life without encountering failure and I think that when that is not taught we are setting our own children up for a reality that will quickly disappoint. I am a firm believer in standing firm for what you want regardless of the obstacles. Like you said, where would our country be today had Lincoln given up. It's a scary thought for many.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea the background on Walt Disney or Abe Lincoln. It is so inspiring to here peoples success stories, especially when they are as well known as those mentioned here. It is rare that people are multi millionaires and billionaires off their first idea or attempt, but it is possible. Rags to riches stories are encouraging, uplifting and inspiring but actually knowing of the people and their success and then hearing the background and how much they had to overcome to reach where they did is even more inspiring. It is easy to get discouraged at failure but it is hard to pick up and keep trying, but in the end it is worth it when you get to where you want to be!
ReplyDelete"Failing is a natural part of the success process" I completely agree on this statement. Our society in general view failure as something bad, when in reality it is part of our individual growth. Success is a result of a trial and error process. We cannot succeed without embracing our mistakes and failures. Our failures allows us to embrace vulnerability, re orient ourselves and helps us refocus on our priority and goals in life. Our failures is natures way to give us a second chance to embrace a new concept or re direct us to something better. I find that success is a lot sweeter after experiencing failure.
ReplyDeleteWow, how did you know I needed to read this, this weekend? I just failed my second attempt at my Praxis 1 test. I passed the math test the first attempt. However, I failed the reading section by 1 point, both attempts. I am still waiting for my writing results. I have been really bummed about this failure because now I will not be able to student teach in the fall. This is setting my goals back and if frustrates me because I am making almost all As in my classes, however I couldn't pass a reading timed test or writing, and this is all I do in school.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that Lincoln ran for office 13 times before he became president. Knowing this makes me feel a little more confident about my failure. I will take it in stride and attempt it until I pass!
Thanks for coming to my rescue!
I've always believed that we could never grow as a person if we succeeded at everything. We need failure to gauge success, or as the old Chinese proverb says: "Failure is the mother of success." Yes, it's nice to get it right the first time now and again, but that can give a false sense of security.
ReplyDeleteThere are also varying degrees of success and failure, depending on ones attitude. For example, a perfectionist will surely define success differently than someone with a realistic personality.
Abe Lincoln's persistence is a true testament to his character, which is probably why he was such a remarkable and most memorable Presidents. He was clearly a principle-centered man that never lost faith in his convictions or himself.
This reminds me of some of my favorite quotes from Henry Ford:
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement."
I agree that success only comes after failure. Those who succeed continue and are diligent in their efforts. If success were easy, everyone would have it. I believe it is meant for those who have the passion to continue under difficult situations. Michael Jordon is another example. He was cut from his high school team and went on to greatness for North Carolina and Chicago. I think overall failure builds character. It makes us stronger, hungrier and more appreciative of success when we achieve it.
ReplyDeleteCrumel Mooring
I have never looked at failure in the sense that we have been taught in this class. It brings to mind that anything i have been less successful at in life isn't a failure, but a different way of not doing something. We must look at things with a different perception in order to succeed in life. As stated, failure only happens when we quit trying. We must always strive to do the best we can and if it isn't enough, we must try a different way. Never give up on the things you want to accomplish. Giving up is the pathway to failing.
ReplyDeleteIt's so true that failing is a part of the process. Instead of telling our children that they must succeed, and do with in a certain amount of time, we need to be preparing them for the way things actually work in the world. Children would be better off knowing of the chances of failure rather than assuming they should be great at everything they do. This shows that we should never give up on what moves us, it may take a while but you will get there if you're meant to be there.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the vast majority of truly successful people in history have failed a number of times. One of the most important things we can pass on to future generations is the ability to learn from mistakes and keep pressing on until we do succeed.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with you that the generation I am a part of has never really been taught failure isn't necessarily a bad thing. The same mentality is in the private sector and the federal. Failure isn't always a bad thing, as long as we take those failures as lessons. In fact, I'd be that someone that failed and learned a lesson would be a far stronger asset than someone that didn't go through that experience. Thank you for your blog post, a lot of great points!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great success stories! Something specific that this blog reminds me of is a poster that actually hangs in the Denver International Airport. The poster is of an 85 year old woman, Nola Ochs, who was the oldest graduate. I think that is so amazing and I know it isn't necessarily a story of failure, but quite the opposite. I found this so incredibly encouraging.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, hard work and dedication will pay off. When an individual continuously applies themselves to prepare for a future through learning, it will pay off. The greatest stories are from those who push the envelope and test boundaries, these people find new thresholds in life. In my experiences, we learn from our mistakes and failures. If we never give up, we can succeed! There are so many amazing success stories in this world, i advise everyone to risk it all to be one too.
ReplyDeleteIn one of my previous college classes we watched a YouTube video called Famous Failures. It is a video about many famous people who were not always famous, and in fact they were considered “failures” and “no good” at what they were trying to achieve. The names of these “failures” include: Steve Jobs, Eminem, The Beatles, Dr. Seuss. Can you imagine where were would be without these individuals? I think these people were able to take the negative energy of others, and turn it around to say, “look at me now”. This is how I try to approach the naysayers in my life. I take their cant’s and turn them in to cans. It is up to an individual on how they react to the responses of others. I have friends who did not finish college and every semester they tell me how hard it is going to be, but I am not backing down from this opportunity no matter what others may say. My success will depend on my focus and desire to complete what I have started. The end of the Famous Failures video says. “If you have never failed, you’ve never tried anything new” (video). Great blog. Thank you for the continuous insight.
ReplyDeleteWhile my daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher always said try, try, and try again. The teacher always said the same three letter word. I enjoyed hearing those words. Fast forward 11 years and my other children do not know about trying and then trying some more. Now I know that failing is not bad. I am not sure when I stopped letting my failures get to me and decided to use them as an advantage in life. I realize that I had given my daughter a great gift and needed to follow it with a failing is natural and beneficial. I believe that the greatest gift I can give my children is to let them know that “never give up because failing is useful in life and to keep trying.” Even though in reality I think I was part of the “you must succeed at everything and that success must come immediately.”
ReplyDeleteI would have loved for my parents to tell me ‘We only become a failure when we quit and stop trying.” Thankfully, now I know it can spread the word.
I find that this blog entry ties in perfectly with the commencement speech prompt. It is so important to understand that failure is not the end unless you want it to be. So many people get discouraged, understandably, when they fail and don't feel like trying again. When we think back to all of the things we have learned in life, where would we be if we had quit the first time we failed? From crawling, to walking, to talking, etc. If we had quit the first time we failed or didn't think it worked out for us, we would be so disadvantaged. I had no idea that President Lincoln ran for office that many times! I agree that he was one of our greatest presidents and can only imagine where we would be if he had quit before succeeding.
ReplyDeleteFailure is only a product of trying. If by luck we first succeed then we can say we had it right or we got lucky. We are only able to find new ways or innovations by trying new things. These will rarely work out the first time but this allows us to change and make a better attempt or product. We are never able to learn without failure. Perfection is something we should strive for but never achieve. In a society that is changing from day to day we need to consistently look at new ways of reaching the same goal or improving on that goal. We must also look to the future and know what needs to be achieved before it needs to be reality.
ReplyDeleteAttempts at success should only truly be considered failure once a person gives up trying. After reading this blog and commencement speeches from very successful individuals you learn that success is ultimately a final attempt at failure. If many others continued on striving for their hopes and dreams there would be many more success stories. Instead, there are too many people out there that allow failed attempts to discourage them which is truly unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteI think failure is required in order to be a successful leader. I think one of the problems we have as a society is the "everybody gets a trophy" mentality that teaches our young people that it does not matter if they are successful or fail, they will be rewarded either way. Our son is learning that lesson because we changed his soccer league from a recreational league to a competitive league. We have noticed a leadership trait in him that we did not see before. The competition is showing him what it takes to be successful and makes him work that much harder. It has also helped in school because this is the first year that he is receiving a letter grade in his classes. Failure is a building block to success whereas too much success can breed laziness.
ReplyDeleteProfessor,
ReplyDeleteBeing a person who enjoys sports also, when I think of someone who failed and went on to accomplish great things, I am reminded of Michael Jordan. Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team as a sophomore and instead of giving up, he worked harder and went on to become one the the greatest Basketball players of all time.
So often is seems easier to just give up when things do not go our way. I believe in the old saying, what doesn’t kill us, can only make us stronger. I have a passion for proving others wrong. I am not afraid of hearing the word “No”, and I refuse to take “No” for an answer. When I am rejected, instead of having a pity party, I work harder to try to understand why I was told “No” in the first place so I can prepare myself better the next time.
Often times we take the meaning of the word no as a negative, or rejection, when we should look at it as a way to better prepare ourselves in the future. I try to teach my kids that just because I say “No”, does not mean you want eventually get a “yes”, you just have to present your agreement differently.
It is great hearing someone welcome your opinions, but I have always gotten more gratification once I was originally turned down and had to go rework my proposal and obtained the required results.
I hate to say this, but I feel like in some aspects, society has taken steps backwards. The youth of today struggle with rejection and instead of finding a way to change opinions, they give up or resort to violence.
Sincerely,
Darius Jimerson
Professor,
ReplyDeleteI believe what you described during this blog was right on the money! Often, we are taught that we must succeed at any given task. Also, that we must succeed quickly, and it is not always easy to do so. When trying to simply accomplish a task as fast as possible, we tend to do the least amount of work. This leads to important factors being missed or opportunities being thrown away. We must take our time and accomplish said task in an effective manner. For instance, if I were to make some brownies as fast as possible, I may miss the instruction to add sugar. So sure, my brownies may be done quickly but now they are not going to taste good because the main ingredient is missing. Success goes hand in hand with time. Moreover, even if I had added the sugar and the brownies came out wrong… I would need to evaluate what went wrong in order to correct it. We cannot give up just because we fail. Failing is a part of life and teaches you much needed lessons. When you fail just get back up and try again. Who knows what can happen.
Michele P.
You took the words right out of the mouth in referring to our culture, especially the technology part. This is one of the many reasons that I love working in pre-Kindergarten, with 4 and 5 year-olds. I get them while they're young and impressionable. I feel like school each year brings about more students who tell me "I can't do that" or "I don't know how to do that". It's like they've already been preconditioned to not even try because they think they will fail. I love that I get to teach them that it's ok to fail and to keep trying and they WILL succeed. The look on their face when they finally succeed at something they told me they "can't do" - is priceless.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Abe Lincoln failed so many times, perhaps because only his successes were highlighted. I also had no idea about Disney's failures, too. I enjoyed the mantra you shared: “Failure isn’t fatal… and success isn’t final.” I think this class has helped me to develop a deeper understanding that failure isn't fatal but I hadn't thought about 'success isn't final'. That is a very true statement and something I think we should strive to remember. It's important to remember that failure shapes us and allows us to grow new understandings and that, by far will help us succeed in the future.
-Jessica Lacey
We have built a society that now afraid to fail. People get so caught in the success they never understand that the road to success is long one. Business fail and some succeed but you will never know which one you will be if you do not take the risk. Bottom line is that life is too short to be afraid of failure. Failure only makes you that much better!
ReplyDeleteAlex Booker
DeleteFailure is not a bad word; some people may think it is. Failure is like a guideline it highlights the areas that need attention and improvement. We may not realize the greatness that can come from the failures of ideas or decisions. Failure humbles us enough to really appreciate the success and out come from all the hard work. I fail my first driving test and learn from those mistakes. I tried again and passed the second try and to this day it had make me a more cautious driver. It is inspiring to read about so many people who never gave up and, in the end, they found success and fame. The bottom line is, never give up no matter how many times you fall or fail because one day it will pay off.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Gray
I think the hardest part of failure, and something that is a common theme coming from those who have failed and then found success, is finding the benefit of failing. It goes along with the idea that we can only go up from rock bottom that failing gives us an opportunity to reflect, readjust, and grow. I am sure it is easy to feel that failing is just an inconvenience in our paths, detracting us from our journeys. But to appreciate the failure for what can be gained later on is one way to take responsibility of it.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great motivating article. As it mentioned in the beginning, this generation expects things to happen overnight. Patience is very important to have but to sit and just wait is foolish. You have to work and work hard to achieve success. To expect handouts shows that you don't have the drive or the determination to chase or conquer a goal. I love these overviews of success stories. - Rodneka Fields
ReplyDelete