Jan. Newsletter: Can you fail your way to success?

Counselor's Corner

"More powerful than the will to win
is the courage to begin."

- Unknown source

A friend shared this quote with me and I loved it! I loved it because it inspired him persevere despite failed attempts in the past. His goal was to start exercising, again, and make healthier food choices, again (sound familiar?). He said he's tried many times but has yet to sustain these habits.

Many great achievers had many great failures. The list of famous people for whom this is true is extensive. Just to name a few: Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Walt Disney, and Abraham Lincoln. Some of the greatest inventors, world leaders, and influential people struggled and failed before they ever succeeded. Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times in his effort to invent the incandescent light bulb. Edison knew that failures provided valuable information that he could use to correct his course. As result of his perseverance, he has over 1,093 patents for different inventions. If you aren't thinking, "WOW!! AMAZING!!" you need to re-read this and let it sink in! Failing 1,000 times! Are you kidding, most people would quit at one or two failed attempts. Fifty failed attempts is impressive, but ONE THOUSAND?!? I am impressed and you should be too.

What separates the ordinary from the extraordinary? Extraordinary people don't let failure stop them. They have courage to begin something new and don't care if they win or lose in their first few attempts. Failures are stepping stones that lead to success. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Has anyone ever told you, "If you can't do something right, don't do it at all?" A statement like this is a death sentence to the soul. Promise me you will never say this to your children. Many clients feel stuck in their life because this thought or belief has been stuck in their brain. There is no room for error. They are afraid to take risks or step outside their comfort zone for fear of failing, assuming failing once means they will inevitably fail again.

Here is a new phrase I want you to ingrain in your brain, "Every master was once a disaster." This was a statement made by very successful business man, T. Harv Eker. He had several failed businesses but is now a multimillionaire and leads wealth seminars to thousands and thousands of people.

Take a good hard look at yourself. What are you NOT doing because you are afraid of failing. If you are waiting for the right day, the right time, the right alignment of the stars, STOP wasting your time. JUST DO IT! The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. If you fail, GREAT, celebrate the failure, learn from it and take another step. With persistence and the right attitude, you can learn from your mistakes and you can succeed.

Do you want another five or ten years to go by and still be stuck in the same fears, doubt, and limited life? Certainly NOT! Time flies. Doesn't it seem like yesterday that the big 2000 new millennium came about. But OMG it's already 2011. Where did the time go? Take a good look at your relationships, finances, career, and health...any and all the areas of your life that are important to you. Set some goals and take action. Win or lose, you are always a winner. Winners never give up. Winners take risks. Winners learn from their mistakes, and become better and better.

You can do it. Act NOW!

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