Failing Is Not A Bad Thing

We are taught that failure is something that is to be avoided. And, it is for that very reason why people live in a cocoon. The fear of failure, ingrained in us since we were young, is one of the most power motivators (demotivators) that exists. It serves to crush more dreams than anything else.

Failure is a wonderful thing. Here is something that I want you to remember: the most successful person is the one who failed the most. Imprint that idea on your memory. Understanding this single concept will change your life.

Babe Ruth is recognized as one of the greatest homerun hitters of all-time. Did you know that he held the record for strikeouts longer than the homerun title? Warren Buffet, known as the Oracle of Omaha for his stock picking, lost $25 billion last year in the stock market. How many people have that much money to lose? Colonel Sanders was rejected over 1,000 times before someone accepted his recipe for chicken. Who among us is not familiar with his creation, Kentucky Fried Chicken?

It is a myth to believe that successful people do not fail. The path to success is always wrought with failure. This is the mechanism that teaches us the most. In fact, those people who attain success too quickly usually lose it. Take the lottery winners as an example. Here is someone who amasses a massive amount of money without going through the trials and tribulations of amassing it. A few years later, many of them lost everything they won.

Failure is not a bad thing. In reality, there is not even such an animal. There are only results. Sometimes one gets the results he or she is seeking; others times that person gets a lesson. Life has a way of teaching us what to do. It is those who pay attention to the situations which go awry who end us utilizing that knowledge. Those who fail to learn from history are deemed to repeat it.

Let me ask you a simple question: who here walked the first time they tried it? I would guess the answer is "nobody". Every toddler falls down when learning to walk. Yet, not a single parent tells their kids to stop trying. That is why everyone can walk. They stick with it until it is perfected. Failure is not an option in that situation.

Therefore, seek out failure. It is your most valuable teacher. If you are going to fail, fail big. Nobody ever make it to the top without some setbacks. Treasure those moments because they are the insights which will allow you to avoid the pitfalls of the future.
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Victimization

People love to play the victim. This absolves them of any personal responsibility. It also provides for an excuse as to why one did not succeed. After all, it was because of (fill in the blank).

Being a victim is a way to ensure you will never be successful. Always reaching for an alibi becomes a habit that will eventually stifle action. Take a look at the most successful people and tell me how many claim victimization. You will find this is not a common trait among this group of people.

Take Oprah Winfrey as an example. On the surface she had everything going against her. She was black and raised in the South during the Civil Rights era. Not exactly a head start on the path to success. Add in the fact that she got pregnant as a teen and you can see how she was heading down the path that millions travel.

Yet, Oprah did not go in that direction. Instead, she became one of the most powerful people in the country. She affects the lives of millions of people everyday with her words. This from someone who had the cards stacked against her.

Unfortunately, Oprah is in the minority. Most use the unenviable circumstances to hold them back. They play the "if only" game. You know that one. If only I was white. If only I went to a better school. If only I was born into a different family. If only my mom loved me. The list can continue forever. The "if only" game is played by those who choose failure over success.

The simple fact is that everyone has circumstances to overcome. There is not a person in the world who did not have challenges somewhere along the way. This is a fact of life. No single individual is exempt from those difficult times. It is how we respond to them that makes the difference.

Whatever your background is, it does not matter. Those who choose to hold onto the past are destined to waste the present. Your life is what you make of it regardless of how you were raised. The events of the past are just that, in the past. It is time to take control today.

Being a victim is the standard practice in our society today. Anyone who watches politics at all sees how this comes into play. There are many "groups" out there who feel they were victimized. While this may be true, living life today according to that mindset is a plan for failure. Just look at the segments of the population who engage in that. They are the ones who seem to be falling further behind. Resist the temptation to join in this suicidal tendency.

One final thought about this: you tell someone who is involved in victimization by the fact they like to play the "blame" game. Personal responsibility says that "I am responsible for what occurs in my life". Adopt this motto and see how your actions are affected.
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Success Through Failure

There is a great deal of controversy with the idea of bailouts, both for Wall Street and for individual home owners. Many seem to feel that those who are hurting should get assistance from the government. These individuals believe that it is the government's responsibility to protect it's citizens from harm. While I would agree with this idea regarding security matters, I do not feel that it is proper at a personal level.

I state this without a particular ideology. Rather, I come from the simple perspective that success is achieved as a result of failure. The government does a disservice when it hinders people's path to success. Often, this road is wrought with failure.

History reveals hundreds of examples of people who failed before they succeeded. Abraham Lincoln is one in particular. He lost numerous elections during the course of his life. However, he presided over one of the most important periods in U.S. history. Donald Trump is another financial success who bounced back from bankruptcy. Colonel Sanders was retired scratching out an existence on Social Security before starting Kentucky Fried Chicken. Robert De Niro took 10 years to become "an overnight success". The list goes on and on.

The point is that failure is often a prelude to achievement. When we fail, if we are reflective, we learn valuable lessons. These insights help us to avoid pitfalls in the future. It is through the act of failing that we are strengthened.

This is all lost when we are "taken care of". The government stepping in to insulate us causes more harm. It weakens that individual. In this situation, many people got loans they could not afford. This is a lesson that they need to learn. Refinancing one's house, thus increasing debt, to pay for "toys" is a lesson in financial irresponsibility. This is something many need to learn.

As for the institutions, some banks need to fail. They were grossly negligent and irresponsible also. Those which have weak balance sheets should be absorbed by one that is more stable. This is the way of business. With the depositors protected, the only ones at risk are the shareholders. This is another group that needs to learn a lesson. If they do, their chance of investing success increases. We are strengthened by our failures.

I use the term "government" here since that is what is in the headlines at the moment. However, we could substitute anyone or anything that insulates us from our grow opportunities. This could just as easy be an overly protective parent. Before a child learns to ride a bike, he or she needs to fall a few times. It is part of the process. One who prevents this child from experiencing the "failure" also robs him or her the joy of riding a bicycle. Success is a result of failure.

It is said that Edison ran over 10,000 tests before discovering the electric light bulb. Imagine if the government steped in after 5,000 failures and told Edison that they would pay him even though he didn't achieve his goal. It would be a pretty dark world right now.
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Guaranteed Failure

Many talk about what it takes to be a success. It is true that success leaves clues for one to follow. Failure does the same thing. If we study the qualities of those who fail, there is a pattern which develops. Here are three things you which will guarantee you never achieve anything that you want.

1. Fail to manage your time.

This is the one commodity that we are all equal in. The difference is in how we choose to spend it. Some prefer to exchange the time for money (working for a paycheck). Others like to waste this commodity sitting in front of the television like a mindless robot. Finally, many show up at work looking for something to do instead of proactively managing their assignments. The use of a list makes us much more effective at using our time to the utmost.

2. Fail to manage your money.

Obviously, this is a path to the poorhouse. Credit card debt is reaching an all-time high. We are about to witness the largest credit card defaults in history. Too many people live beyond their means with no clue how to manage their money. I wrote "Your Easiest Million" as a way to assist people with the basic understanding of money management. Money properly saved and invested will multiply. Unfortunately, so will debt.

3. Fail to manage your emotions.

Too often people make decisions based upon emotions. We do not think clearly when we are in an emotionally charged state. Business negotiators know this all too well. They are trained to remain calm regardless of what transpires. Trial attorneys do the same thing. Emotions cause us to react rather than respond. "Knee jerk" reactions lead to bad decisions. The heart is a wonderful thing for romance. However, wearing it on your sleeve will negatively affect your life.

If you want success in life, reverse the habits of the failure. Take control of your time, money, and emotions. It is the path of the successful.
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17 Wealth Principles of the Poor

1 Poor People believe "Life happens to me"

2 Poor people play the money game not to lose

3 Poor people want to be rich

4 Poor people think small

5 Poor people focus on obstacles

6 Poor people resent rich and successful people

7 Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people

8 Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion

9 Poor people are smaller than their problems

10 Poor people are poor receivers

11 Poor people choose to get paid based upon time

12 Poor people think "either/or"

13 Poor people focus on their working income

14 Poor people mismanage their money well

15 Poor people work hard for their money

16 Poor people let fear stop them

17 Poor people think they already know
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