The Sunday Mail
THE opposite of success is not failure. Failing a few times does not mean that you should give up and curse the day you were born.
It is what you think about failure that matters most. Never let thoughts of fear and near-sighted ego destroy your mental furniture.
Failure is a very necessary part of success. Failure is the floodgate on your river of greatness. Show me a person who has not failed at anything, I am sure that person is a real failure.
True greatness is living a life that is bold enough to stare at failure but never flees. In life there are no guarantees.
Things change all the time. Failure, like death, is always lurking nearby.
What stands sure is a burning faith that triggers bold and determined action every day, in spite of the suggestions that failure and fear proffer. True greatness is moving from failure to failure without losing your motivation, vision, verve, confidence and conviction.
With faith throbbing within, vision firing intensely and you playing the game with all your heart and learning all the time, you will get there. You may experience a few episodes of failure, but these should not stop you.
Any failure you face must trigger a new wave of determination and a new intensity to win.
Great things are not for timid souls. Greatness is for those who regard failure as a catalyst of change and instigator of action.
Every failure you face is like an onion ring that you have just pealed off.
Just delayed
You may be looking at your failures and feeling depressed, hopeless and despondent. It is human to be disappointed when you fail. However, it is inhuman to contemplate suicide because of a few failures.
Never let the opinions of others be so important to you that you abandon your goals and retreat from action.
You did not fail to reach your goal, you were just delayed. Failure is a small delay on the continuum of life. A delay is not a denial and a failure is not futile. Rest a little if you must, but do not quit the game so early.
Anyone who travels frequently knows that delays happen but they are never a good enough reason to change your destination. One or two delays do not mean that you should give up flying and throw away your ticket.
Fail, yes, but do not behave like a rabid dog because of it. Keep focused and fired up. Your last failure was just a delay, keep holding your ticket and your luggage. Keep thinking and reaching forth for new possibilities.
You may need to revise a few things but do be tempted to think like a victim. Feeling pity for yourself is not strategic planning.
Road Construction
In the last few months most of the highways in Zimbabwe have been undergoing major rehabilitation. This has necessitated detours, road closures and other construction by-passes.
Failure can be likened to arriving at that blinking traffic light on the road you know too well and you see a bold sign written: “Road Closed!”
Never give up because of a detour on your highway. If there is no road in front of you, create one. If the normal one you used to use is closed, find a detour. Life journeys do not stop because roads are under maintenance.
Never stop simply because you cannot see a way forward or a way through. Never let appearances scare you, see through your failures.
People say a lot of things but never let their voices down the giant in you and shrink your motivation. If it has never been done, there lies an opportunity for you to be the first to do it. If others have failed trying to do it, it is your opportunity to succeed at it.
If it is difficult, then it is inspiring because it chases away the opportunists who think that greatness comes by luck, significance is borrowed and work is a dirty word.
Do not stop trying.
If you have to cry it is okay to cry, just do not let tears be an excuse for you to burrow your head in the sand in fear.
Love No, No, No
You may have tried and tried and tried and you keep hearing the same answer: “No!” Never let those two little letters scare you and make you run. Learn to love the sound of “No” because every time you hear a “No” you are closer to a “Yes!”
Do not count the “No’s” that you receive too seriously. If you find a locked door, knock until it opens. If you ask and you are rejected, keep asking until you get the answer that you want.
You can never search and be disappointed. If you think once and it looks impossible, keep thinking.
Being rejected does not mean you are a failure or that it will never happen. Go back to the drawing board, change an element or two and then go back and try again. Changing your mind is not a sign of weakness.
If your tolerance fuse is small, you will be disappointed early and you may think you have failed. No! Greatness beckoning across the river of disappointment.
Success is waiting for you to knock and keep on knocking; think and keep on thinking; try and keep on trying, ask and keep on asking.
Milton Kamwendo is a cutting-edge international transformational and inspirational speaker, author and coach. He is a strategy and innovation consultant and leadership coach. His life purpose is to inspire people to release the greatness trapped in them. He can be reached at [email protected] and on WhatsApp number 0772422634
