In our lifetime, we fail and we fail many times. Ironically, failure has been seen as a dead end instead of a step towards success. The more you fail, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more successful you will be. It’s not that we should fail then; it’s about we should never give up. Failure makes us tough, patient and to do the best we can with what we have. As Mary Pickford said,”There is always another chance…. This thing that we call ‘Failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down”.
To produce a masterpiece, to create what will be acclaimed as greatest, to succeed; you have to fail, many times, to be original. That’s how Edison filed 1093 patents notwithstanding, the numbers of truly superlative achievements can be counted on fingers of one hand. 248 papers of Einstein have no or minimal importance before he wrote E = mc2
Timon Of Athens and All’s Well That Ends Well are known as worst plays ever produced; guess what, William Shakespeare produced them. The Chronicles of Narina, The Diary of Anne Frank, Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, Lord of The Flies; were many times rejected before they get published.
Michael Jordan missed 9000 shots in his career, 24 game decisive shots, more than 300 games. “I failed over and over and over again, in my life, that’s why I succeed” he said.
This is how Abraham Lincoln in his life before he became the greatest president in the history of United States of America:
- 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
- 1818 His mother died.
- 1831 Failed in business.
- 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.
- l832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
- 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
- 1834 Ran for state legislature again – won.
- 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
- 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
- 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
- 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
- 1843 Ran for Congress – lost.
- 1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
- 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
- 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
- 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
- 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – get less than 100 votes.
- 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
- 1860 Elected president of the United States.
“Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.”
Originally published at souravraina.com