When you fail, move forward
I have written about failure before but it is not something discussed so often these days. Literature and gurus are out there to preach the path to success and how it is inevitable, when in reality the fact of the matter is that every now and then failure will come looking for you. Successful people are not those that never fail, they are the ones who keep going despite failing.
When one fails, it is hard to get an objective look at the situation however one of the best ways that I have found of being able to convince myself that failure is only a part of life is by looking at other successful people are recognizing how many failure they have been through themselves.
Keep in mind who failed
Steve Jobs : The greatest example in modern times may very well be Steve Jobs. The once upon a time young heartthrob of silicon valley who was thrown out of his company. More than a decade later he came back and implemented the biggest corporate turnaround in history. His story, if anyone has ever read it, is often depressing, but it shows how he never gave up. His passion with technology and art took him many places and eventually brought him back to the company he founded and helped him take it to new heights. Very few of us go through the kind of 'fall' that Steve Jobs took, and ever fewer attempt to get themselves back up and move forward.
Pele: The legendary footballer was a superstar and led Brazil to many victories, however in the 1966 World Cup, Brazil did poorly and most thought that his career was over, however in the next World Cup held in 1970, despite his age, Pele led the Brazilian team to victory once again, cementing himself as one of the greatest the game had ever known.
JK Rowling: The richest author in history, the only one to make a Billion, was a struggling single mom and had her Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 publishing house before it was picked up. It took a year before the project got the get go. Not many can take so many rejections. keep in mind that even then JK Rowling required a day job and grants to help her keep writing before Harry Potter became a success.
Bill Gates: To an outside, Bill Gates may appear to be the richest man alive and the biggest philanthropist ever, however even while Bill Gates was CEO of Microsoft, the company has many, many failures and flops including the delayed entry into the burgeoning web space. Despite the many failures and flops, Bill Gates as well as Microsoft kept going and it is still among the biggest cash cows in the world while Bill Gates is still the richest man alive.
Japan and Germany: This is not about getting political but it is about the mental strength and discipline of the people of Japan and Germany, the two countries that were hit the worst by World War II but within 25-20 years became manufacturing powerhouses. Japan may not be the economic miracle it once was, it is still among the most developed countries in the world while Germany probably is the home to the most sophisticated hi tech manufacturing as well as the de facto leader of Europe.
The point:
The point is very simple. Everyone fails and if you think you cannot, just wait. During failure, no matter how devastating, one needs to lick their wounds and keep in mind that there have been bigger loser and bigger failures. All they did was to keep going knowing that a better future is possible. Convincing oneself that the world is not over is probably the most important thing one needs to help them get back up.
When one fails, it is hard to get an objective look at the situation however one of the best ways that I have found of being able to convince myself that failure is only a part of life is by looking at other successful people are recognizing how many failure they have been through themselves.
Keep in mind who failed
Steve Jobs : The greatest example in modern times may very well be Steve Jobs. The once upon a time young heartthrob of silicon valley who was thrown out of his company. More than a decade later he came back and implemented the biggest corporate turnaround in history. His story, if anyone has ever read it, is often depressing, but it shows how he never gave up. His passion with technology and art took him many places and eventually brought him back to the company he founded and helped him take it to new heights. Very few of us go through the kind of 'fall' that Steve Jobs took, and ever fewer attempt to get themselves back up and move forward.
Pele: The legendary footballer was a superstar and led Brazil to many victories, however in the 1966 World Cup, Brazil did poorly and most thought that his career was over, however in the next World Cup held in 1970, despite his age, Pele led the Brazilian team to victory once again, cementing himself as one of the greatest the game had ever known.
JK Rowling: The richest author in history, the only one to make a Billion, was a struggling single mom and had her Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 publishing house before it was picked up. It took a year before the project got the get go. Not many can take so many rejections. keep in mind that even then JK Rowling required a day job and grants to help her keep writing before Harry Potter became a success.
Bill Gates: To an outside, Bill Gates may appear to be the richest man alive and the biggest philanthropist ever, however even while Bill Gates was CEO of Microsoft, the company has many, many failures and flops including the delayed entry into the burgeoning web space. Despite the many failures and flops, Bill Gates as well as Microsoft kept going and it is still among the biggest cash cows in the world while Bill Gates is still the richest man alive.Japan and Germany: This is not about getting political but it is about the mental strength and discipline of the people of Japan and Germany, the two countries that were hit the worst by World War II but within 25-20 years became manufacturing powerhouses. Japan may not be the economic miracle it once was, it is still among the most developed countries in the world while Germany probably is the home to the most sophisticated hi tech manufacturing as well as the de facto leader of Europe.
The point:
The point is very simple. Everyone fails and if you think you cannot, just wait. During failure, no matter how devastating, one needs to lick their wounds and keep in mind that there have been bigger loser and bigger failures. All they did was to keep going knowing that a better future is possible. Convincing oneself that the world is not over is probably the most important thing one needs to help them get back up.
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