“Fail seven times, stand up eight.” Japanese proverb
An inspiring story from Puppies for Sale by Dan Clark:
“Did you ever fall flat on your face as a total failure? One lousy lawyer did.
“He came from a wealthy family and was the pride of his parents. He had everything advantage: the best schools, a law degree, and an introduction to important people.
“But he had to prove himself a capable lawyer—without the help and influence of his father and his social standing. In the courtroom he presented a terrible image. He was too frightened to stand up to the opposition and was easily overwhelmed.
“As he reached into his lowest, most wretched level of suffering, he realized there were people worse of than himself. He began to consider how he could help.
“He never did become a prominent lawyer. Instead, he developed his own philosophy, which led his native country of India to independence from British rule. His name was Mahatma Gandhi.”
What an inspiring story! It reminds us that failure isn’t permanent and that often it holds within it the seeds of opportunity. Failure can knock us flat or it can free us to take a new path, as Gandhi did—or to find a better way to accomplish what we’ve set out to do. So let’s not fear failure! Instead, let’s mine it for the gold it has to give us: The gold of renewed purpose. The gold of igniting our ingenuity and pushing us to work harder and smarter. The gold of spurring us to make a course correction and get back on track.
Some day soon, we’re going to fail at something we set out to do—maybe some of you are coping a failure right now. If so, then, take heart! Just as Gandhi found inspiration in his lowest moments, so we can do the same. We can see failure as feedback, as a stepping stone to something bigger, brighter, and better. Write on!
Please help KWD grow by sharing: https://karinwritesdangerously.com/