Stumbling is an inevitable consequence of walking on a rocky
path. No matter how careful one is in choosing their footing, if one wishes to
advance, risks are going to have to be taken. Risk means the ever-present
possibility of failure. Embracing life means we embrace the possibility of
failure. We should accept the risk; we don't have to accept the failure.
When I have failed in the past, I have always felt stung by
what seemed to be my own stupidity. My post-failure postmortems then included
an unhealthy fascination with my personal failings and weaknesses. However,
life has had a good go at me, and I now realize that most of my failures were a
result of my having either stepped out unprepared or unwilling. I was either
ignorant of the size of the challenge awaiting me and was not up to the task or
I was unwilling to make the sacrifices required to be successful in that
particular endeavor. This doesn't mean I stop taking risks or accepting
challenges. It simply means I make more informed choices in the risks I choose
to accept.
I still embrace challenges and I still fail. However, I no
longer allow failure to be an impediment in my path. If I stumble or fall, I
get up. If I find my path blocked by failure, I just look for another way to
reach my goals.
I always try to keep in mind that failure is a temporary condition, not a job description.
"Failure is delay, not defeat. Failure is something we can avoid
only by saying nothing, doing nothing and being nothing." - Denis
Waitley
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