COMING BACK AFTER FAILURE
"The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything." -Theodore Roosevelt

Many people hide their failures. After one or two failures they may be so ashamed that they will quit trying to do anything difficult. Successful people usually fail, too. They often leave a trail of "could have been successes" on their journey to real success. To some, failure is a stopping point, but for those with the character to persevere, failure represents a chance to gain knowledge that can be applied to their next attempt.

Babe Ruth failed many times at home plate, recording more strikeouts than home runs, yet he is remembered as the "Sultan of Swat," one of baseball's greatest batters. The British army suffered a staggering defeat at Dunkirk but went on to win the war. Abraham Lincoln was born to a poor family and started life in a dirt-floor log cabin on the outskirts of pioneer America. He failed in business, was defeated more than once while running for Congress, lost his sweetheart, suffered a nervous breakdown, lost two bids for the Senate, and was defeated in a run for the vice presidency before being elected president of the United States in 1860.

Many people suffer a defeat and then lower their expectations or abandon their dreams. Leaders must help others learn to fail without fear. They must teach by example that it is right and good to dream, seek, fail, and try again. In his book Bringing Out the Best in People, Alan Loy McGinnis says, "If leaders can teach people how to handle failure creatively, it may be the most important contribution they can make."

CONSIDER THIS: Don't be disheartened if your life has been riddled with temporary failures. Success favors those who persist. When you fail and fall - since you're already down there pick something up (learn from your failure) and get up as quickly as possible. It is not a matter of having fallen but how long you stay down that will devastate you.