Understanding Failure

The purpose of this article is to help the reader to have a better understanding of failure. To do so,we will give a brief definition of failure, and then look at failure from a negative point of view, and then from a positive perspective.

" Webster's New College Dictionary" defines failure as, "The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends."

Failure From A Negative Perspective.

Failure from the stand point of society is unacceptable. When we were kids, our parents expected us to achieve, what they desired of us. When we failed to meet their expectation, their view of us was not so pleasant. And when we failed in our own desire to attain some thing
as a child, do you remember how you felt? Were you sad, angry, frustrated, disappointed and teased by others? Maybe.

So what is the point am I trying to make.? That failure in society today is unacceptable, therefore negative overtone is attached to failure. We have briefly discussed this, when we were children at home.Now what about in our school systems and place of employment?

In the school systems, we have grading systems. In the grading system, knowledge is tested.The student that meets the school's so called "standard" receives an" A", but the student who does not meet the so called standard gets an" F." In some countries, the student will have to repeat the class.

What impact do you think this will have on a student who has received series of Fs,and has to repeat a class? How do you think the student will come to view himself? A failure? Stupid? worhtless? Useless? Maybe.

Our place of employment, does not tolerate failure. Why? The companies know that employee failure will adversely affect their making more money. Hencce, employees are constantly evaluated. Those who do not meet the companies' standards are removed or demoted. The employee who is removed or demoted because of not meeting the standards of the company, will have the same negative view of himself as the student who received the F grade don't you agree?

I am not against a grading or evaluating system, I want to say that out loud. I am against a system that marks, demaeans, reduces the value of another human being for one reason or the other.

As a result of the negative attachment to failure, many are scared or afraid to fail. I think one of the greatest mistake people make is that when they fail, they refuse to do anything positive about their failure. They retreat, they isolate themselves, they blame others or in a sense they choose to stay lying down. Is that a good solution?

Failure From A Positive Perspective.

Let us illustrate it this way. When you fall down, do you forever stay lying on the ground? No, you don't. When you fall, you immediately raise yourself up, wipe yourself and move on. Do you not? Is the same with failure. Do something about it, learn from your failure.

That is what I did. In my previous article or blog post, I mentioned that I was on a vicious cycle of failure.I did not blame anyone for my failure, I took full responsibility and held mmyself accountable. I decided to learn from my failure. I failed because I did not have the insight, the training, the tools that will help me succeed. So what did I do about it?

I set out on a journey of searching. Searching to find the right training, the right tools and the proper mindset. Happy to say, I have found what I was looking for. A combination that will catapult me from failure to success.

What is the moral of all of this? Don't allow others to negatively brand you.Don't be afraid of failure. Don't allow failure to paralyse you into in activity. Rather allow failure to guide you in right direct. Allow yourself to learn from your failures. Allow failure to motivate you, and allow failure to take you by the hand and lead you to success. And always remember, if view correcctly, failure can and will propel you to greatness.