Online chats for the past year have given me huge opportunities to meet with good decent people of different races and culture, of varying ages, male and female. While a good number have moved on to other things life has called them to do, a few have remained in the friendships created by it and which we then shared then and now. Apart from the adults, the younger folks (which are many) have begun to call me ‘cyber mom’ – something which they seemed to like anyhow (me, too). lolz From then on, they began confiding with me their family troubles, girlfriend or boyfriend troubles, new struggles in new jobs, anxieties in college work, etc. But their most common ‘concern’ was about --- failing or failure.
Come to think of it, nobody really is prepared to fail. We’re prepared to succeed, that’s easy. Succeeding is the goal. But ‘failing’ -- this isn’t taught in school, maybe hinted at but not really. Our homes may tell us bits-and-pieces about it but never how to cope with it when it does occur. It is often presumed that we would be able to cope when that 'time' comes. Yet no matter how much one may know about ‘failure’ and how it affects us or what it does to us, we still find ourselves lost – bewildered – confused – insecure - bitter – angry – baffled – irritated.... and to extreme, ruined.
I too had my share of failures just like everybody else. In a few of them I was successful in dealing with it, but in most I was simply floored by it all. It was as if my whole world crumbled and tumbled down or collapsed on me. There was nothing I could hang on to and everybody seemed to have gone on invisible mode so suddenly. So there I stood alone in my misery, wallowed in self-pity, banged my head against the wall, and ultimately ended up blaming myself for everything.
So having gone through it all and survived (I believe….lolz), I think that I’ve plucked out pearls of wisdom from that experience which I'd like to share with my young friends or with anyone who would care to listen. To help me put them together in intelligible terms, do allow me to quote from these very apt words penned by an anonymous successful somebody. God bless such beautiful soul.
This is what it says. (Italized words are mine)
Failure doesn’t mean you won’t succeed;
It means that you haven’t succeeded YET.
Failure doesn’t mean that you haven’t accomplished anything;
It means that you have LEARNED something.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re ignorant;
It means that you are KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH to learn
through various means.
Failure doesn’t mean you don’t have the power to succeed;
It means that you haven’t FULLY TAPPED the power.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re not the best;
But it does mean that you BECOME BETTER and better.
Failure doesn’t mean you’ll never make it;
It means you need some MORE TIME to achieve it.
Failure doesn’t mean you have to give up;
But it does mean that you must TRY HARDER.
So there you have it. I do hope that in some way possible these words would help you understand that failure isn’t really all about failing, but rather it’s more about --- learning.
One more thing before I end up here, failure may take you to the bottom of the pit, figuratively speaking, and this undeniably indisputably would affect your faith. Here’s something that you should also know, to quote:
“When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith -- is knowing that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on –- or -- You will be taught to fly” -Patrick Overton
Good morning, everyone! May God pour down His bountiful blessings upon you and your family -- and may He grant you His strength to face your trials in life and come out with greater wisdom. :-)
posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 5:20 AM
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