steppingstones
Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something. — Morihei Ueshiba
The kind of self- protective mindset that dictates that we only undertake things that we know we won’t fail at is a barrier to moving forward. Holding onto that prevents us from taking risks and failing. That’s unfortunate because failing is a lesson in learning how to succeed.
All in all, it comes down to how you take failure. Either you can make it a step to success or a retreat from it. It’s all within you. Remember: you are what you make of yourself – someone who failed and gave up or a failure to success story, the choice is yours. — Ritu B. Pant
The difference between successful people (risk takers) and others is that when they experience failure, they do not allow it to keep them down. Successful people have a mindset that distinguishes them from others. Successful people don’t give their power away by choosing to be overly sensitive to what others think of them. They don’t give their power away by choosing to be “set in their ways” and resistant to change. Instead they are flexible, resilient and adept at making changes.
Successful people understand failure to be a valuable lesson that they learn and benefit from. Rather seeing criticism or failure as stumbling blocks they see them as stepping stones that bring them closer to achieving their goals. They accept every failure as a lesson in how to succeed in the future and then they make the adjustments required to achieve success.
Next time you think about quitting your online ventures after a failure, think again! It just might be the thing you needed to give yourself a boost. — Ritu B. Pant
doson
February 1, 2009
In life we’ll not fail because of a stumbling block but you & I will fail only if we try to stop there. Interesting take.
I’m adding up my thing :D
“Don’t ever give up if you can do it, and if you cannot then please give up all the things that fails you. This is the only shortcut to success.”
Lana
February 1, 2009
As an artist, I’m well experienced with failure. I just got a rejection e-mail today, actually. *L*
Lanas last blog post..New Painting
D
February 1, 2009
I forwarded this blog to one of my friends that was thinking about giving up on something in her life. This is a very good post. I personally choose to make a “step to success”.
Ds last blog post..February 2009 Blogging Contest
timethief
February 1, 2009
@doson
Thanks for sharing more of your take on this with me. I appreciate it. Love and peace
timethief
February 1, 2009
@Lana
I don’t like the word “failure”. It’s a learning curve, if something doesn’t work, it’s just another lesson. There’s no point in beating yourself up about it.
And, I love your paintings. Your use of color is breathtaking. Every painting is fascinating. You have an immense amount of talent that’s being exposed to those who are appreciative.
Love and peace
timethief
February 1, 2009
Hi D,
I like the step to success metaphor a lot as you can tell. All my best to you and your friend.
Love and peace
Alik Levin | PracticeThis.com
February 2, 2009
I liked the metaphor!
Easy to remember and practice ;)
I am actually “motivated” by failure. No wonder this post resonates a lot w/me ;)
lvs
February 3, 2009
You are so right. But when in the middle of failure it is so hard to think that something good can even come out of it. But you are so right. To be successful we need to go out and seek new experiences and use each failure as a stepping stone.
lvss last blog post..Terrorism and Media: Transmission or Communication?
Jeff Baker
February 3, 2009
We all stumble, and sometimes we fall down. Having what it takes to get back up is something we all have access to. The awareness of It is the key… then the choice to actually get back up.
At the same time, leaning into any risk will increase our strength to withstand the normal pitfalls of life as well as the “opportunities” that Life offers.
Good to see you TT. A most excellent post.
Love and Peace. — jeff
Jeff Bakers last blog post..Life Is Good
Jake
February 3, 2009
It all depends on how you react to your failures. I have known people who were never able to recover from a significant failure in their life and it was disheartening. I believe that I always am better from my failures. I try to not let them get me down, at least not for that long.
-Jake
Jakes last blog post..BMW M3
LBJirel
February 4, 2009
Really inspiring post.As lvs has said, it becomes sometime really tough to hold yourself not to be frustated away from failure once it happens but if you have faith and believe in yourlsef, you will definitely become successful.
LBJirels last blog post..Not to disturb again!
Jennifer
February 4, 2009
If you don’t try, you never fail. Or succeed. It’s taken me a while to figure out what you’ve written so clearly.
Hope you are well, timethief.
Jennifers last blog post..February’s blog: Revellian Dot Com
Teresa Silverthorn
February 4, 2009
My brother said something to me, when I was a teenager, that has remained in my mind ever since:
“This isn’t a problem. This is an opportunity….”
Even tho my brother and I agreed on very little, we did agree on that.
Good article, Time Thief…thanks for sharing it. :)
Teresa Silverthorns last blog post..Hold Your Head Up
Melinda
February 5, 2009
Hi Timethief,
I think it helps if we can frame our failures as looking at them as learning experiences. A wise Native American shaman told me once, “There is no such thing as bad experiences–just learning experiences.”
I definitely believe there is truth to this statement.
Great post, btw–
Melinda
Melindas last blog post..Death of a Punk: Remembering Sid Viscous
Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills
February 7, 2009
Failure to achieve our intended outcome is how we recognize the need to adjust our course. So much of the time we discover what works only after we figure out what doesn’t. I love the stepping stones vs. stumbling blocks analogy.
Nick Grimshawe
February 7, 2009
Like the article. I have been talking about this a lot lately. Don’t be afraid to fail, fail your way to success and other examples. We are taught to fear failure rather than seeing it as the growth needed to achieve success.
I’ve learned from every mistake. I have some times had to repeat a mistake before I understood the lesson.
Celebrate the failures and soon you will celebrate success.
Nick
the SunShine Guy
Lance
February 8, 2009
I like that…failure as stepping stones! Sometimes we slip and fall off…and the best thing we can do is to pull ourselves back up, and continue walking along the ‘stepping stones’ of life. Thank you for this!
Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
Bird
February 10, 2009
This is a good one for me… how do I judge what I do? Is any given thing that I do a failure because it does not make money, or a success because I learned in the process of doing and got pleasure from a job well done? And how confusing when something I privately may consider botched becomes popular and sells! I often feel like giving up on my chosen path, exhausted by what seems like failure. But when I do, my friends patiently point out to me that it’s because I’ve fallen into a trap, I’m judging things in conventional ways and not by what their true value may be. There is a saying that goes something like “Fail well, fail better”, and when I am feeling poverty stricken and down I try to remember that :D
Birds last blog post..The Earth Is Burning
Sharon Wilson
February 10, 2009
Love the metaphor you use! I don’t like to word the use failure myself. It implies finality and permanent state. Rather, they are learning experiences because we recognize we have to adjust our course. It is only a true failure if we haven’t evolved more from the experience.
timethief
February 10, 2009
@Everyone,
Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your responses to my post. It does seem that the metaphor is a good one.
My your pathway be paved with smooth stones.
Love and peace,
tt
ClayrnDarrow
February 16, 2009
Great post. People shouldn’t be too critical of their personal failures–Unless you can remember, or even believe in a past life, this is your first go round at living life. Brilliant.
timethief
March 6, 2009
@Claryn
Hello there. I’m so glad you like my post and I do apologize for not replying to it sooner. I do tend to be my own worst critic and I’m trying to remember to give myself a break now and then. If we don’t take risks we never fail but then again we don’t mover forward either. So as I considered that I came up with the stepping stones metaphor.
I hope you are happy and well.
Love and peace,
tt
Teresa Cuervo
March 17, 2009
Tomethief:
This is the first time I visit your blog and I must say I love all your posts. This one in particular though, I believe we all take failure rather harshly and the grand majority refuse to even act and the thought of failing.
Good stuff
Teresa Cuervo
Elizabeth Barrette
March 25, 2009
I have a saying, “If you’re not making any mistakes, then you’re not learning, you’re coasting.” In order to learn something new, you have to go out to the edge of what you can already do, and then take a step farther.
Elizabeth Barrettes last blog post..Resources on Thinking for Yourself