Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I just love the responses to "failure"! Everyone has fabulous points!

I believe in my heart that failure can be a good thing. Perhaps it is suppose to happen this way?

I have my glass half full all of the time vs half empty. Positive thinking is very important to each and all of us. I tell everyone that you can make the adjustment to the "failure" and give all the positive thoughts back to the universe and you will recieve positive back. It could be that there is something else out there that needs to happen for you, whatever it might be....marriage, business or whatever. Let go of the negative thoughts or ideas and develop new, fresh and positive ways of life!! It is truely amazing when it comes back to you in a positive way! Then you know it is meant to go this way!!

I shrug failure off....I work hard to keep things in positive mode all day long. I can`t bare the thought of hanging out in the lows, blues and sad days...I run instead! Thank God I can take care of myself!!!

Failure- deep, very subjective topic. 

I never learn to ride a bike, because I never wanted to fall off.  So I failed to learn to ride.   

I love tennis.  Know what my biggest fear was?  Getting hit by the ball.  My coach used to tell me, "Gail, that is why you have the racket, you hit the ball, the ball won`t hit you."  I went home black and blue.  The first time I returned that ball, I knew that I would hit the ball more than I would get hit.  I love to play.

Failure is very subjective and in some cases paralyzes the ability to succeed.  Then again there are people who are afraid of success - is that failure?  What about those who are terrified of failing at anything, they overachieve and find no joy in their success just in case someone can do a thing better than they.

For me, failure would be failing to enjoy the journey no matter where it leads, not learning as much as I can, not challenging myself, not testing my beliefs. Failure for me would be not knowing when to "let it go".

Ultimately, I think, how we define success, determines how we define failure.

SUCCESS/FAILURE/SUCCESS

I believe business and life are a walk of faith, a letting go of FEAR as the driver behind the engine.  Failure is always a success.  I find the trick is adapting to the hairpin turn.  This adaptation is survival.  Survival is success. 

In addition, I believe what appears to be rejection or failure is a statistic that can be measured.  For me,  I had to reach a statistical number of no`s prior to the yes, and then the collecting of a check.

I do not recognize FAILURE or FEAR.  My vision stays true to the path, the road, the fall line.

Thanks for the posts everyone.

Monica

www.drapecouture.com

One Drape-Twice the Style

Thanks for a great read everyone, especially to coscooper.  I`m printing your posting right now to keep in front of me for a while.  Have a great day.

Sincerely,

greentub

I love this quote from Benjamin Franklin:

I believe that both success and failure are ideals that are impossible to define because they are far too subjective.

Of course, some people view success as the accumulation of wealth or the achievement of influence or power. Others may see success as the accomplishment of a life goal or the ability to help others less fortunate than themselves. While one person may feel she has reached the pinnacle of success because she can afford to buy a $300 handbag, another person might believe he has achieved success because he finally received his degree.

The same is also true for failure. There are people who will never be satisfied with what they have and, thus, will always feel as though they have failed. They find themselves on the perpetual treadmill of always wanting something more, bigger or better. I read an article recently on the real life costs of people who feel they must “keep up with the Joneses”. In direct contrast, there are people who choose to live a simple, uncomplicated life and are truly content to live without excess material possessions. For them, success is measured in terms of their quality of life. People like that are more genuine, happier and tend to live longer lives (at least according to current medical data).

Personally, I think success is a measure of how real you are to yourself and to others. I know a good many people who spend a lot of time, energy and money trying to convince the world that they are something they are not. You all know people like this. They always feel the need to embellish every aspect of their lives. No matter what you have done or accomplished, they have always done more or better and are over eager to tell you all about it, ad nauseum. I know people who are always trying to reinvent themselves, from their job titles to their number of friends. I suppose that with the advent of the internet, it’s easier than ever to do. Unfortunately, the “persona” they project is far from the real person they are. I think it’s sad that people like that never seem to realize that their real lives, though ordinary, are perfectly acceptable and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I respect a person a lot more when they just tell it like it is - good, bad or indifferent! Not to mention, just like the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction, so, too, is the fact that truth is more interesting than fiction.

I think that if a person can go to bed each night fully aware and accepting of their bumps, wrinkles and gray hair and still feel content and happy, then they have moved beyond success into something far more meaningful. Learning to accept whatever life throws at you with grace, dignity and perseverance while retaining your compassion for the plight of others are, for me, the hallmarks of success as a human being.

Gail said, “For me, failure would be failing to enjoy the journey no matter where it leads, not learning as much as I can, not challenging myself, not testing my beliefs. Failure for me would be not knowing when to "let it go".”