Fail Early, Often, and Forward
Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.
John C. Maxwell
Ask any successful person how they achieved so much success without failure and they're likely to look at you like you have two heads. Failure is a vital part of success. In fact, most success is impossible without it.
This is where ordinary, mediocre thinkers get stuck. I know you're not one of them.
They have been taught all their lives that failure is disaster and so they've learned to avoid failure at all costs. Now the math is simple. If most success is the result of failure and you're afraid of failing, you're leaving yourself out of the running for most success.
Extraordinary thinkers know that failure is part of the price. Does it mean they're not worried about it? No. It means they're willing to risk that discomfort for a bigger outcome.The world and many of the people around you don't help either. You’d think when someone puts a dent in the Universe, or even really goes for it, that the world would welcome them as conquering heroes, but it doesn’t always go that way.
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina December 17, 1903: A group of people gathered to ridicule the Wright Brothers for trying to fly. When they pushed their plane out onto the field, people laughed. A few minutes later no one was laughing. A few years later those people were probably telling everyone how they were there when history was made.
Thomas Edison once replied to a reporter's question about all his failed attempts with the light bulb with the following quote (later modified to 10,000)."I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work."What history will you make by risking setback? How many times must you fail to taste success on your big dream?
Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition form mediocre minds.”
Every time someone upsets the status quo with a game-changing idea, there is a long line of people ready to say, “That will never work.”
With all that naysaying going on, it's easy to quit when you meet with early failure. Push through, my friend. Keep on playing to the empty seats. Keep on writing even if no one is reading. Keep on dreaming even when no one else cares.You're the one who will be sitting in that proverbial rocking chair one day wishing you had. Failure? Ha! Fail forward! Don't let your dreams die on the sword of inaction. Take action and let chips fall where they may!
You ARE exceptional!
Ray
