It can be so easy to let failure be your ending. I know there have been times when I’ve
started to doubt my ability to accomplish something. But it’s important to see your failure,
accept it, learn something from it, and then keep pushing forward. It’s important because success is often right
around the corner of Failure Street and Pessimism Avenue. A quick internet search will reveal countless
examples of success won after numerous failures.
Kevin Cronin, singer for REO Speedwagon, frequently relates
his experience trying to get signed by a record label. The music executive that listened to the demo
tape turned Cronin down. With
persistence and optimism, Cronin kept pushing on. Eventually, 3 of the 5 songs on the demo tape
became top 10 hits, two of which hit #1.
It is entirely possible that Cronin’s demo tape and musical abilities
were not worthy of a record label. But
instead of calling it quits he pushed forward with determination and an
optimistic attitude, and made success happen.
I am a huge advocate of starting an exercise program as the
first step towards success. A regular exercise
routine teaches us that failure can ALWAYS be overcome. If you want to bench press 300 pounds you
will fail numerous times. But each
failure will most certainly bring you closer and closer to 300 pounds. You probably will start with 100 pounds, lift
it a few times, add more weight, lift it a few times, and eventually get all
tired out well before 300 pounds arrives.
Wait a week and try again. Odds
are you will be able to lift a little bit more weight than the last time. Maybe you start with 110 pounds instead of
100. The fact is that every time you are
benching less than 300 you are failing, but without that failure you will never
gain the strength needed to reach 300 pounds.
This same principle applies to all exercises. It truly even applies to ANYTHING you do.
Start seeing your failures as bringing you closer to
success. Start seeing them as essential,
because if you are not failing you are probably not really trying anyways. Instead of giving up when you fail, look at
it the way Henry Ford suggests:
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin
again, this time more intelligently.”
So
next time you find yourself at the corner of Failure Street and Pessimism Avenue,
turn onto Optimism Way and proceed with determination.
“You were born to be
a champion, and no matter what obstacles and difficulties lie in your way, they
are not one-tenth so great as the ones that have already been overcome at the
moment of your conception. Victory is
built in to every living person.” 
