There may be no better metric to measure your potential for success than how you view the challenges, obstacles, and setbacks that life throws at you. And taking it the final step, how you respond to failures.
Many people allow these trials to define them, usually as a victim. Then they use that innocent victim identity to validate giving up on their future. These are the people that tell you they would have won a Super Bowl if an injury in high school hadn’t taken them out of the equation, or they would have been the next Elon Musk had their bookkeeper not embezzled from them. They decided a particular moment in time was bigger than them, and because they lost the fight, they believed they also lost the war.
A much smaller group of people face challenges, obstacles, and setbacks, but use them to grow and reinvent themselves. They see challenges as stepping-stones that allow them to learn important new information, modify their approach, gain insightful experience, and develop character. These are the victors in any endeavor.
It’s crazy how many people believe the path to success is only reached by those who avoided failure. In reality, the people who achieve world class levels of success only did so by facing down failure and refusing to let it define them. (Ask Ed Sheeran how many record labels turned him down, or J.K. Rowling how many publishers rejected Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.)
It’s my experience that people who use the strategy of avoiding failure at all costs usually crumple like a cheap suit at the first failure they face. Those who understand that measured doses of failure – learned from – persevere and reach high levels of success.
If you really want to accomplish something epic, you have to set courageous, daring, and imaginative goals. And set at least one goal so big that you’ll probably fail at it. Because you can’t really make a difference in any area until you are willing to face failure. A big part of that is having self-esteem healthy enough to weather failure. You understand that having a failure doesn’t make you a failure – it actually improves your chances of becoming a success. Pitbull can boast about his record label that flopped because he’s still in the game, bigger than ever. “Dale!”
If you’re not facing occasional failures, you’re not really pushing yourself. If you haven’t manifested at least one epic failure, then you’re probably playing it safe. You can’t become who you are meant to be by playing it safe.
If you’re not challenging yourself, you’re not growing. And if you’re not growing, you’ll never reach anything close to your true potential. And not reaching your potential is an insult to the force that created you.
Peace,
- RG
P.S. To those asking, yes the Power Prosperity Podcast is still a thing. We changed hosting platforms so your subscription might have gotten cancelled. You can find your platform here.
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Thank you so much for your regular sharing. For some month I have been very inconstant. Plenty of excuses as to why - but working on eliminating those!
Failure is a very interesting word.... Through much of my own studies through life and the last 2yrs with you, failure has taken on a totally different meaning. There was a time when failure was a disaster but not any more. It's just another learning point - trial and error to help us grow. When something doesn't go my way it is very often because of bad timing. I KNOW that forcing something rarely works. On the other hand, when I get the timing right life flows smoothly and joyously.
Thank you for all your thoughts and ideas.
Very true Agnes, when we get the timing right, everything flows! We have to lead from our best understanding of "our divine spiritual inheritance". Let love for life lead! vs allowing ourselves to fall from love into victimhood. Failures are fuel for further growth and evolution I feel. Good thoughts! I celebrate your prosperity!
Hi RG!
Just wanted to salute you for today's Friday Filosophy and didn't find a better place to do it. Feel free to move or remove the comment.
You're so right that we need to start viewing this whole situation from the kids' perspective. They are the real victims of this crisis, are the most vulnerable, and will suffer the most.
Two years ago, it would have been considered child abuse to restrict the oxygen flow of a child at the playground, in the grocery store, or at school. Teachers and headmasters would have been charged with a serious crime had they insisted on wrapping some chemical-laden, off-gassing material over a child's mouth.
Now, this is "normal" as they're doing it in the name of "health". But the biological needs and the sensitive emotional nature of kids didn't change. That's still child abuse.
Thank you for using your voice to advocate for basic human rights and needs of children.
This is as good a platform as any to discuss the "Friday Filosophy" newsletter. Thanks for stopping by. - RG