Daily Inspiration 11-2-10

"Errors become mistakes when we perceive

them and respond to them incorrectly.

Mistakes become failures when we

continually respond to them incorrectly."

-- John C Maxwell

"There can be no failure to a man who has

not lost his courage, his character, his self-respect,

or his self-confidence. He is still king."

"No man fails who does his best. . . "

-- Orison Swett Marden

I talked with a close friend briefly today, and he told me of a contest that he entered. He had to choose a level out of three to compete in, each level more challenging than the previous one. The safe choice, of course, would be level one. The aggressive choice would be level two, and the third choice would be very bold at level three. Knowing this friend as I do, I was not the least surprised that he chose level three. No fear.

He worked hard and long, even forsaking normal time off, pretty much not taking a day off in the last two weeks of the contest. He missed by one unit.

Now, some would be upset, perhaps even cursing, second guessing his choice, being embarrassed with upper management seeing him miss a critical step and so on. Not so. He was pleased with himself. He gave it his best and came up short, but his best was all there was, so how could it have been a failure?

So, he suggested that I write about this subject, and so I am. It is a critical subject because so many people relinquish themselves to judgement, when the judgement is really their own.

The San Francisco Giants just won the World Series tonight. Serious stuff for so many. The Texas Rangers didn't win it. So what does that mean? That depends completely and solely on who is thinking about it and how they think about it. We're sort of taught--well, not sort of--we are taught that winning is supposed to be everything. What a bunch of crap that is to teach people. Besides that, this isn't how life really works anyway.

Hands down, the best book I have ever read on the subject is by the man in the top quote: John C Maxwell. His book, Failing Forward is mighty in its support of failing, and even mightier in its support of changing your definition of failing. If you've never read it, I hope you will, as it is one awesome book to help anyone and everyone not only redefine failing, but learn to fail with JOY! If the Texas Rangers didn't fail with joy, they have the wrong teachers. They played their best. I watched and it's true!

I'll leave with a repeat of this most wonderful quote by Orison Swett Marden (Google him. Very interesting person!):

"There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self-respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a king."

I say Amen! to that.

Life Would Be Nothing Without Risk!

Spread Some Joy Today--Take a hard look at some of your definitions of failure, success, right, wrong, good, bad. How you feel about those is everything. Only you can define them for yourself.