Defeat

“If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”       Thomas Alva Edison

There is no success without failure.

Thomas Edison failed many times before he succeeded in his pursuit of inventing the light bulb. How many of us give up after one or two unsuccessful efforts at some task?  Who among us would even try three times?

Failure is not permanent. Napoleon Hill, renowned author on the subject of success, called failures “temporary defeats.” Michael Jordan, the greatest professional basketball player of this era, was cut from his high school basketball team. He said, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over, and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

We had many setbacks in the early years of the transportation company my wife Carol and I own. There were a number of times when we could easily have closed the door and filed bankruptcy. In the toughest times of our business, the main difference between defeat and survival was faith.  A never give up attitude – the belief that somehow, some way, we would persevere. The most important time for our faith often comes at the most challenging times when defeat is at the door.

When have you faced a loss and still succeeded, despite the challenges? Most adults are likely to have multiple examples where we not only survived but went on to victory in the face of defeat. These stories are extremely important because they are huge deposits into the bank account of faith.  When I face challenges in my own life, I always go back and pull up the stories when a great attitude and a never give up belief overcame what appeared to be a likely defeat.

What do you face today that could use a change in attitude? Is it time to take a second or third look?

I have failed over and over, and over again in my life . . . and that is why I succeed!