No one likes to fail. When we fall short of an important goal, or not get the job or promotion we hoped for it can be discouraging. Yet, if we study most successful people, we will find that failure has been a regular part of their journey to success.
Abraham Lincoln’s path to the White House was one of repeated failures and disappointments, yet he pressed on and changed the future of our country. Between 1832 and 1858, Lincoln lost his job and was defeated for state legislature, failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, was defeated for speaker, lost a nomination for Congress, was rejected for land officer, was defeated for U.S. Senate, was defeated for nomination for Vice President, and was defeated again for U.S. Senate. Despite these setbacks, in 1860 he was elected President of the United States
Inventor Thomas Edison, after being fired from his first two jobs for being non-productive, tried 1,000 times unsuccessfully to invent the incandescent light bulb. Did Edison give up? Obviously not or we would all be sitting in the dark! Edison’s perspective was, he did not fail 1,000 times, the light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps. Each failure brought him closer to success. And succeed he did! Edison’s attitude about failure is summed up in this quote from him: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Walt Disney was fired from his job because his boss felt he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first television job for getting too emotionally involved in her stories. After Harrison Ford’s first movie role he was told he would never succeed in the movie business.
Every successful person has one thing in common – failure! Failure, setbacks, and disappointments are a necessary part of the pathway to success.
Many movie scripts follow a common theme known as the “Hero’s Journey”. While the details may vary, the general theme goes something like this. An ordinary person experiences a calling to do something extraordinary. He/she often solicits others to join in the effort. Then the tests and trials start. One problem, complication, and challenge after another frustrate our hero and his team. The problems escalate until it appears that all is lost. In the end, perseverance pays off and our hero succeeds.
Why is this such a common and successful theme in movies, cartoons, and television shows? Because it reflects the journey to success in real life.
We are the heroes in our own lives. We have dreams, goals, and objectives. We set out on a journey to accomplish them. Along the way, problems, setbacks, and yes, failures occur. Does that mean we have failed, our road to success is blocked? Only if we do not deal effectively with these disappointments.
Learning to accept failure along the road to success is essential to accomplishing our goals in life. Are you facing a setback, loss, frustration, or defeat? Try looking at the situation as a necessary step in your progress. As baseball legend Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.”
Failures are painful but not fatal. As you face your current obstacle or stumbling block, consider this advice from Thomas Edison, the persistent inventor, “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this- you haven’t”.
Kent Shafer 