Traveling on the Failure Flight in life is necessary……….
Failure is a requirement if you want to be successful……
In today’s environment it has never been more apparent of the many OPPORTUNITIES we now have to create our own lifestyle, a successful engaging, purposeful life. However, it is not always comfortable to create or easy to find that path. As we travel down that path we often meet many challenges and experience many failures, mistakes and disappointments. Some people equate failure as a “negative” it is their endpoint.Failure is only a negative when you give up.The art of failure and failing should be the “jumping off point” to another opportunity, not the end.
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
How many times must you fail?
I do not think there is a defined number of times you must fail in order to achieve success, it is a journey. Defining what success means to you is the first step and was the key in my journey. When I was first starting out, early “80’s,” in the decade of consumer consumption on overdrive, excessive behavior and over-indulgence, success appeared to be based on your ability to accumulate anything and everything. Success I thought was measured by how much I “had,” how much money I was earning. That benchmark is no longer my metric used to measure my success. My 5th year traveling back to Temple Pharmacy School, Philadelphia, with my milk crates in tow, was emotionally hard. I wanted to be finished with school like my friends and on my way to “adulthood”.They were all getting great jobs, buying new cars, and moving out of their parents homes.( That was a major goal back then, move out of your parent’s home ).I was always comparing my situation to others and I was never happy.This way of thinking I know now prevented me from realizing my gifts and true potential and being able to recognize what was really important. I felt like I was always searching for the next thing, and never being satisfied. It was the thought “when I get that” then I can I say I made it and I will be happy.I am now on my third start up, conventional brick and mortar business with an online consulting site and a digital product in the works. I am also entering the second stage of my life and I feel will be the best part of my life. I am more excited today then I was when I first got out of school and landed my first job.
Learning is hard and being Honest with yourself is harder….A different mindset is needed to be your best.
For some reason I thought I had all the answers at 28. If I did this, that and the other, I would reach my goal. Not sure what I thought the goal was? Funny how I realize today at 59, how much I did not know then and I recognize I know less now. The opportunities that I have taken advantage on were always chocked full of lessons and many failures. Painful but necessary to ADMIT I made a mistake or executed poor judgement. These moments are more of an “ah ha” moment then a “poor me” moment as I got older.I am closer to the end point now and I actually enjoy having those opportunities to “trip” or “fall down” because I get to try again and I know it will give me another opportunity, another chance, to be better .
Identifying my definition of Success
I am not rich according to the (how much money you have in the bank rule) and I am certainly not able to retire in a few years, far from it. I have taken great risks and suffered great losses,( big, big failures). Had I not taken those risks or made those mistakes I would not have been exposed to the many situations and people that helped me to understand my purpose. Paying bills and just living these days is hard but life is still really good. My definition of success is not how much money I can accumulate or how many “things” I have but what I have done with my skills and gifts. Did I make a difference in someone’s life?Did I use my talents to give value to someone else? Did I help someone today ?
Next Opportunity
As I prepare to launch my non-profit advocacy group to advocate for those that cannot, our elderly and most vulnerable, I feel I am finally realizing my potential, understanding what will define my true success. If I can change one person’s life for the better, I can say I achieved my goal and am successful.The pandemic and the loss of so many lives in the nursing homes has created a focus and an obsession like I have never felt before today.I know that I need to SPEAK OUT and lead the charge for these families and workers to help force the changes needed for our elderly. The status quo of sub-standard care has gone unnoticed and ignored for years, since the beginning, 1960's.The same problems that were discussed back then are still being discussed now. That is the problem, discussed, no action being taken.I know that I will endure many obstacles but at this stage in the game I have nothing to lose and I only have to gain. It only takes one word, one action, one person to change a life, and that is my goal for me to achieve my definition of success.
