You have to go to the starting line before
you to get to the finish line.
“A failure is like fertilizer; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.” Denis Waitley
Failure happens. It’s our attitude toward failure that makes all the difference. I can choose to look at failure as fatal and toss a pity party. Or, I can look at failure as motivation to prove to myself and others that I’ll be back and will succeed at this challenge. Choose to use failure as motivation to come back even better and stronger, it will make all the difference.
“Each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
– Vince Lombardi
“Many times the wrong train took me to the right place (Paulo Coelho).” Have you ever had a great disappointment? I have. I’ve wanted something so bad and when I didn’t get it, it felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. The funny thing about it, in hindsight, I was happy it didn’t happen. Something much better came to me. I had to wait longer for it to knock on my door, It was worth the wait. Disappointed over not getting something you wanted? Wait, something better is coming your way. It will knock on your door when you’re ready for it. Make sure you answer the door.
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will (Vince Lombardi).” A mentor gave me similar advice early on in my career. He took me aside and said, “Ray, successful people do what unsuccessful people refuse to do.” I discovered he was right. He was talking about commitment, hard work, focus, and unrelenting desire to succeed. You are designed to be successful. My mentor’s advice is applicable to all parts of life: relationships, health, fitness, work, and spiritual.
“It’s better to have tried and failed than to live life wondering what would’ve happened if I had tried (Alfred Lord Tennyson).” So many dreams never come true because we refuse to try. We refuse to take the risk. We blow the risk out of proposition and make an excuse not to try. The irony to not try is that by trying we discover hidden forces within and outside of us coming to our aid and we succeed beyond our dreams.
Rule 1: Accept that it’s not going to be easy.
Rule 2: You’re going to have to work hard, maybe harder and longer than you’ve ever worked.
Rule 3: You’ll have to get along and work with folks you find disagreeable.
Rule 4. Talent is not as valuable as endurance and an unwillingness to never give up.
“Not all those who wander are lost” (
We all want to succeed. Yet, there is no guarantee of success. We do know that success doesn’t come knocking on the door, we have to chase it. The chase is fraught with all kinds of challenges. Those who persist and give it maximum effort, increase their chances they’ll get to dance with success.
