Expect Failure, But Also Expect Success
Updated: Jan 31, 2020
I didn't make it. I quit. Am I a failure?
These were my thoughts my sophomore year of college. I had just called my stepfather and told him I was finished, done, I quit. I had been a very serious basketball player for 7 years. Now, I was finished. For several months, I really felt like a failure. My dream of playing pro basketball had now come to an end.
There are times in life you must surrender to the reality that you have human limitations. The fact of the matter is, I was just not good enough to play professional basketball and I was ready for a positive change in my life.
Occasionally, we may try something over and over again to be met with continued defeat and failure. Though I don’t expect anything to be a failure, I do understand that in order to achieve greatly, I may fail greatly. You know what? It happens. It happened to Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln and many, many others.
After quitting basketball, I realized that I was not a failure. I had done my very best and now it was time to forget the rest,(Thank you Tony Horton).
I want you to think about something. Think about the millions of people who know how to ride a bike. And out of those, only a small percent hopped right on without training wheels and road their bike immediately. But if you’re like me, you fell off time and time again. I didn't learn how how to ride the bike because I fell off, I learned how to ride because I got back on!
Life is the same way, it’s not a matter of failure, but rather it’s discovering the power of getting back up to start again. Through practice you build the ability and confidence to deliver when the moment arises.
As you journey through life, do not become discouraged at failure but look at it as a unique opportunity. Though I have failed often, it is during my failure that I have increased my knowledge, determination and perseverance to exceed even my own expectations. In other words, though you may have failed, rise with the spirit of determination combined with sheer will power, and a new knowledge. Listen, you are a success waiting to happen. Oh by the way, you are already a success!
Start Telling Yourself IT'S OKAY!
Tips From Marc and Angel Chernoff:
1. It's okay to be a beginner. No one starts off being great at all things. Life is a process. Do the best you can until you know better. Once you know better, you'll do better.
2. It's okay to use disappointment and frustration to motivate you rather than annoy you. Remember, you are in control of the way you respond to life.
3. It's okay to NOT compare your progress with that of others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance. Focus on the steps YOU are taking NOW, and make the very best of it. Do your best and forget the rest.
4. It's okay to face life’s inevitable obstacles, remember, it’s far better to be exhausted from lots of effort and learning, than to be tired of doing absolutely nothing.
Your turn...
What are some things you can start telling yourself right now in the area of "It's okay..."?