Sunday, 12 October 2008

  • Failure, a wonderful tool for success

    It’s funny really, the times that depression hits. Usually on the tail end of a hard earned victory. Yesterday I found out that I am the regional representative for Help End Hunger Now. After just a short time with being in the company the President saw something in me that he feels is going to be an asset to many people. This is a very good thing in my life and yet I got hit with such an attack of “you are going to FAIL, just like you always do!” This snuck up on me before I even got a chance to tell a single soul how happy I was for this opportunity. Pft…like I am going to take that attack, yeah right. Ok, I did for about a day, 23 hours way too long. I will accept one hour. Why? First, I now know the enemy is mad, alerting me that I am on the right track. Secondly this got me fired up and stirred even deeper passions to push through this lie and deception. Thirdly and most importantly in the scheme of things, this attack actually brought me forth through a seeking of truth that is taking the umph right out of any future attacks and shall henceforth be used as a tool for success. HA!

    I am sitting here trying to define failure and success. Every once in awhile I get this feeling that I can only describe is “low”. I feel LOW, not on a high, not on the top, not of great worth, needing fuel as the tank is almost empty. Hmmmm….not empty, just almost. It’s like being on the highway, tank gauge is flirting with the big E with no known hopes of station coming up soon. As I am a word person, I had to look up the word low. Why not? It’s how I feel, what does it mean? In looking up “Low” I had to pass the word “love”. Shaking my head, “That is no mistake”! Think about it, you have to go past love, forget the love of God and others in your life, be so self centered to reach low as love IS the fuel. Love is above low, so that when we slip off the foundation of love, love can pull us up. One thing you can always count on in every circumstance, love NEVER fails. I praise God He gave me friends who help me look up!

    I believe our success is defined by our failures. There is nothing that I have ever mastered at that first there was a series of failures first as the learning took place, as the yearning got stronger, as my resolve became focused and determination went into overdrive, past excuses and comfort zones into the desired end.

    "Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Anonymous That is one thing character strength I cherish the most is though I have failed, this is a truth that I have failed over and over and over again, I have NEVER given up in the things that matter the most. And that, I believe, defines my success.

    So, here is the truth of the matter, I have failed at many things but I am not “a failure”.

    "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Henry Ford

    "There are no failures — only feedback."R. Bandler

    "Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."Truman Capote

    Most people achieved their greatest success one step beyond what looked like their greatest failure.
    Brian Tracy

    The more I look at quotes on failure, the more it occurs to me that not only is failure an established and necessary part of life, it would be quite impossible or at the very least very unhealthy not to have it mixed in as an ingredient for success. What establishes success is how we respond to the inevitable failures.

    "Before success comes in any man's life he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps, some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do."Napoleon Hill

    In the broadest sense, failure is an event that does not accomplish it’s intended purpose. That’s it. No emotions, no shame or guilt. No ownership or defining of character. Plain and simple the event did not accomplish it’s intended purpose. Actually, this gives me hope and a place to re-think and re-plan for the future. When you break it down there are several components: An event/action, intention and purpose. Each failure, taken apart from any emotion, can be analyzed with action plans to be developed for future attempts.

    I can guarantee that one of three things will happen when a plan is altered and retried. I tell this to my patients all time. The attempt will get a better result, worse result or remain the same. The only result I don’t like is when their condition remains the same. If they get better or worse you at least know you are making changes and from there we know we are working on the cause or the root of the problem so the answer will be much easier to find.

    In our equation there are 3 things that can change:

    1. The event or our approach – It took Thomas Edison 10,000 attempts at inventing the light bulb and we get tripped up over try number 3, go figure.

    2. Our intention – how much energy and investment we put into the event.

    3. Our purpose. Does the purpose outweigh the pain?

    Failure is a truth but not an end destination. instead of dreading it or giving into it, I am embracing the fact and functions of failure and making it work for me. Yes, I will own up to it - in essence I earned it and in owning up to the fact that something didn't work I can then get up, determine what needs to change and move on.

    Here is the last thought, change of gears I suppose but a perspective: Success of any worth is not easy but in the journey we are changed. In fact the end is not nearly as sweet as a reward in the lessoned learned along the way.

    You know this means I have to cancel that upcoming pity party, right? Hey, but I do have a better party that just started, the hats fit better and the invitation is much prettier! You are officially invited to my PRAISE PARTY! My outlook on life will never be the same, will yours?

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