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Learn From Mistakes, But Don’t Fear Making One
After posting the recent 100 pound weight loss story, I’ve received several emails from readers who have expressed their own newfound hope within the story. A common theme has been those who were previously scared to start for fear that they would fail. They were essentially running from fear. Rather than risking the pain of failure, they had taken a safer (in their eyes) road by sitting idle and remaining the same.
I honestly did not know that the site had readers who hadn’t committed to exercise. I assumed (always a big mistake) that readers of this blog were already motivated to train. Considering that I was wrong, it’s nice to know that Q’s story has proved useful to others.
And while on the subject of failing, the video below is definitely worth a look. It confirms one of my favorite quotes (from Elbert Hubbard):
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
Take the message from this video to heart. I’ve made more mistakes than I can even remember. I’m not ashamed of past mistakes however, as they have allowed me to learn and improve. In many ways, we are all products of our past mistakes and failures. It is these events that often shape our future (at least partially). This has certainly proven true for me personally, and I’m a better man now because of it.
Ross
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I stole this from my friend Josh. I thought it was quite interesting, and I figured I would share it.
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Give yourself over to the failure inside of you, and let it envelop your soul.
Failure is not out to get you. Failure wants to be your friend, the one you can count on when success, that is ever-elusive, eludes you.
Failure is not out to fuck you. Failure wants you to fuck it… to fuck it all.
Failure wants you to be proud of your lack of accomplishments.
Failure wants you to own your own incompetence.
Failure wants you to be confident in your inability to do anything.
Failure doesn’t want you to try; failure wants you to fail.
Failure wants you to get over your fear of failure… and what better way to do that than to fail and fail again?
If at first you don’t succeed, fail and fail again.
And fail again.
And fail again.
And walk tall. And stand up, and say, “I am a failure.
“I am a failure.
“I am a failure.”
If it is difficult to do this… if it is difficult for you to think of yourself as a failure… if, for example, you have a good career, a nice place to live, a happy family, a lot of money, a sense of purpose, or belief that in the end, everything will all work out… remember all the things in your life you tried to do, but never, ever could.
Think of how when you were five, and you wanted to be an astronaut, and then the space program went into the toilet.
Think of how much you wanted to have sex with such-and-such a person, and you were rejected, or too shy to even try.
Think of how many times in your life things didn’t go your way, and remember: external forces are never to blame. You are the center of your universe, the only force that can ever affect you. Therefore, anything that doesn’t work out for you is all your fault.
You are responsible for all of your successes, and the lack thereof. And that is the essential point that failure, your ever-faithful friend, wants to make: that your failure could not exist without you… without your stupidity, without your lies, without your mistakes, your uselessness, your lack of faith, your ineptitude, your unjustifiable confidence in your alleged abilities, you stupid loser… failure is your only friend.
Failure is your only lover. Failure is your only hope.
So befriend it. Make love to it. And believe in it with all your might.
Because failure is all there is for you.
Right on Ross. Another great video. It reminds of a T-shirt some runners here in Louisville wear that says “Only those that risk going too far can find out how far they can possibly go.”
I couldn’t agree more! how do you think you learn about life. you aren’t going to find it in a book!
Yeah, motivational quotes are great, but the whole idea about failure being a building block of success is all hogwash. Some of us just have to get used to the fact that we will never succeed at anything worthwhile. I have failed at just about eveyrthing I have tried. I have worked so hard, worked so long, and all I have to show for it is life in the gutter. The missing factor? No one helps me. No one ever gives me a break. No one ever makes room for me. I have to fight like a dog for every tiny scrap I get, and I get even less than I deserve.
Failures don’t make success. LUCK does. No success in life can attribute it all to “hard work”, “dedication”, “perserverance”, “never give up”……… LUCK is THE ultimate factor in whether or not someone will be successful. You have to kiss up, suck up, and hope that lady luck will smile on you. Some of us are just more lucky than others.
Time start thinking realisticaly. Some of us just will never accomplish what we want in life. We can’t ALL be winners. In order for there to be winners, there must also be losers.
Hard work will only take you so far, and for people like me, hard work only gets you further into the gutter. You cannot be successful without luck and without help from other people. Don’t kid yourself.
Epic Fail – No disrespect, but your attitude sucks. It is that kind of attitude that will always bring about failure. Using myself as an example, no one has given me anything. Perhaps my definition of hard work is different from others. I bust my ass. That means working 7 days a week. I often put in 15 hours in a single day. I started my business in a one room apartment, living off water and corn flakes. Others may have given up, but guess what… I didn’t. I did plenty of failing, but I NEVER gave in. I kept working, didn’t sleep much, and didn’t eat much. It had nothing to do with luck.
You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. No one owes us anything in this world. You either get up and go for it, or you don’t. And if your best isn’t cutting it, it’s time to get better. Find a way.
In the words of Brian Tracy:
“I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.”
And Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”
Ross
Great post Ross. One of my favourite quotes is:
“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” — Thomas Watson, Sr
Not always applicable I know, but great as a reminder of the relationship between success and failure.
And to address the issue of luck that someone brought up, here’s a quote I read a which I think sums it up perfectly:
“Remember: Success is nothing but luck. Just ask any failure.” — Earl Wilson
epic fail,
Putting yourself in the position to succeed, being at the right place at the right time, and timing are all factors to success.
Putting yourself in the position to succeed is about training, education, and YOU. Do everything that you can to succeed. Sometimes, you may find out that you’re not cut out for something. Find something else.
Great video Ross.
I’ll save that one for a rainy day and my son.