The Lessons Of Failure
Published on February 26, 2015
An unfortunate aspect of society is that we are trained to believe that to fail is to, well fail. Not true. All you need do is look at every aspect of your life and you will see that failure is the very reason you have accomplished anything. Failure to grasp an object when we were very small led to incredible determination to persist until motor skills were developed. The simple act of chewing food was mastered after numerous unsuccessful tries, accompanied by the classic gag reflex. To not succeed the fist time is simply the indicator of where not to go next.
I was speaking with my second oldest, Myles today and it reminded me of a call a couple of years ago about the marks he got back from his mid-terms. Great results in all but one, (still mid 70's so I was thrilled) but he was able to tell me that if he had not fallen asleep reading the last chapter that the exam centered on so much, he would have, in his words, "aced it"! He then went on to tell me that the only reason he fell asleep reading that last chapter was because he left it too late and was trying to cram. "What a great lesson" I told him. To learn this now, the benefit of applying this philosophy to "not leave things too late" will serve him for the rest of his life if applied.
It was the failure of Thomas Edison some two thousand times that led to the creation of the electric light bulb. Failure was the impetus behind the creation of my coaching program that today is the cornerstone of my passion. Next time you are challenged by something in life, accept the results and take a moment and give thanks. Maybe all we need do is to change the name and take it off the list of loathsome words. So fortunate we are to have the lessons of failure. Have an excellent day.
Be well,
Randy Taylor