From Repeated Failures Doth Success Rise

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; Professionals built the Titanic.”

–Anonymous

One of the biggest fears people have in their lives is a failure.

• Fear that keeps them from following their heart
• Afraid they won’t succeed if they try something new
• Fear that they might never “make it,” doing what they are passionate about

One of the most powerful antidotes against raging fear is an insurmountable confidence in your own capacity to succeed. Rather than feeding the fire of fear, try, and nurture the seedlings of success. Help them sprout in all their glory; protect them against the storms of shaking faith. Guard them against the insects of uncertainty, and feed them the fertilizer of your resourcefulness. Do what it takes to let the little saplings grow to the level of tall, and yet nimble fruit-bearing trees.

Each little failure you encounter on the way to achieve success can, and must act as an embodiment of immense power that constantly feeds your urge to maintain focus at all times. More failures you encounter higher the chances of success you will register on this journey. Why?

The answer lies in your analytical acumen. If you are like all others that lose faith and resign upon their first failure, you may never win. However, your own wisdom to revisit your previous attempt that failed to bring rewards will help unravel the secrets, the mistakes, the follies, the oversight and/or the missing link that caused the disappointment.

“I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustrations were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.”

–Tony Robbins, “World-renowned authority on leadership psychology”

Who can dispute the persona of Henry Ford, the great industrialist that gave us the coveted ‘Model T?’ It is not hard to find a fairly large number of books and research papers written on his tremendous business acumen. He has repeatedly been acclaimed as one of the most astute American businessmen.  Here is one of his most famous quotes that would testify to his own handling of repeat failures and turn them around into an astronomical success: “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

A glimpse into the history of Ford’s achievements, built upon his failures reveals the fact that twice he failed to deliver against the money entrusted to him by the investors in his automobile venture. If that was not enough, after producing his first automobile, and raising another $60,000.00 in share capital, his Detroit Auto Company went bankrupt. Experts attribute the reason for this failure to his refusal to update the ‘Model T.’ Adding to the woes of his string of failures, he also failed to make a mark in politics.

On the success side of the equation, Henry Ford is recognized for his outstanding role in laying the foundation of assembly line production as a boon to the manufacturing industry, as well as automotive engineering. No wonder he successfully acquired the coveted position of an outstanding business magnate and a philanthropist. It was nothing but a constant focus on overcoming failures against all odds that enabled Henry Ford to drastically cut assembly time of an automobile from fourteen hours to just 90 minutes.

No wonder, we can gain a lot of encouragement from his following words of wisdom: “One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.”

The all-time hockey great, Wayne Gretzky shares his personal experience in such eloquent terms: “You will miss 100% of the shots you do not take.” Can anyone dare dispute it? Do you know of any other way to score a goal without going out into the field and taking shots at the puck? I doubt it. Yes, it is true not every player hits the goal every time, but this is also absolutely true that only an active player on the field, during a game, can hope to achieve this success. To add to that, another predominant fact testifies to the numerous attempts at hitting the goalpost. No wonder, players’ average score is based upon a count of their attempts, hits, and assists that help other players to score.

Considering the above example, we come across an interesting fact. More you assist others to reach their goals, higher your own value appreciates in proportion. It brings out your team spirit. More you help others in their time of need, the more helping hands will come to your aid when the situation so demands. Your timely help in saving someone else from the ignominy of failure prepares you to anticipate reciprocal favor when the time so demands.

Let us learn something from the life of the late Rev. Robert H. Schuller, a California clergyman known for starting his ministry by preaching in a drive-in movie theater. His grit, determination and an uncompromised focus on attaining his objective helped him build the landmark megachurch we know as the ‘Crystal Cathedral’ in Orange County, Los Angeles. He gave us a concrete example of persistence winning against fears of failure. As they  say, the ‘proof is in the  pudding’, we  can adapt Rev. Schuller’s wisdom to hit our goals in the face  of raging  opposition and/or obstacles: “Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure; it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.”

I am sure we can all learn from the above submission and prepare ourselves to take oncoming failures in life as a welcome sign to a new beginning rather than an obstacle to success.

Thank You!