Using failure as an inspiration

I wanted to take some time to explore the road we call failure. Failure is relative to how we each choose to react to a given set of circumstances.

Inspiration comes in many forms, as long as we are open to look for it. Mine first came in the form of a dear friend. He is in his late 60’s, has had his gall bladder removed, had two heart attacks, both knees replaced, smokes cigars, and is overweight. After his second heart attack he decided that life is mean to be lived, and decided to run a marathon. Now, this was a person who had never been fit, athletic, or in particularly good shape. Despite all of this, he went out and bought running gear and commenced his training. On the first day, he literally ran, or shuffled from his doorstep to the next door neighbors, about 50 feet away, before collapsing from exhaustion. 50 feet!

Over the next several months, rain or shine, he pushed on, despite being chided by friends because he had such a long way to go and really didn’t seem to be making that much progress. However, six months after he began, he finished his first marathon. During this marathon, he never stopped to walk or to take a break, despite the pain and suffering he was feeling. Since then he has ran several other marathons, done 50 and 100 mile bike rides, and done month long treks through the Himalayas.

A famous Japanese proverb states, “Stumble seven times, get up eight times.” This is one of the finest ideologies for success that exist. WE ALL make mistakes, but each of these mistakes presents an opportunity for enhanced growth and better results in the future. It is all in how you choose to look at your situation and how you act upon your mistakes. My friend could have quit after that first day because he just had so far to go. But he chose to look at that first run as 50 feet closer to his goal. He made the choice to move forward despite his poor ability, and he has never looked back.

Failure is one of the best teachers that exist. If you want fast results, don’t be afraid to fail! Think of it this way, if you fail, that simply means that you are trying. That puts you far ahead of anyone who has not laced up their shoes and got moving. That puts you one step closer than those who are afraid to give it a shot because they don’t want to make any mistakes.