Wisdom Through Failure

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." -- Dale Carnegie

"Before success comes in any man's life he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps, some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do." -- Napoleon Hill

"Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing." -- H. Stanley Judd

We have all heard that success comes from refusing to submit to, and be defeated by failure.  We are told to strive on when we experience setbacks.  We are to ask those who have succeeded for their wisdom of success.  We should look at the failures of others to discover and avoid their mistakes.

All of these things are true, but, perhaps, a bit cumbersome.  There are certain people in the world who are able to help us avoid learning all these lessons for ourselves.

To truly avoid mistakes and achieve success, we should not only look at mistakes that led to failure or choices that led to success.  We should look for people who have achieved both the wisdom of failure and the thrill of success from the same source.

We can learn about how to avoid divorce by asking a divorced spouse about what he or she did wrong, but the answer will be jaded by the person's desire to protect his or herself from the pain of true introspection, even if they have gone on to a successful second marriage.  We can look at a successful marriage, but the couple will be unable to advise on challenges they have never experienced.  If we want to have a successful marriage, we should look for a couple who has experienced failure, then rebounded to success.  A couple who has divorced, or come close, then reconciled and restored their marriage will have an intimate understanding of how to avoid marriage pitfalls and promote success.

The same is true in business.  Some wisdom can be gained by talking to someone who has experienced bankruptcy, then succeeded in the next company.  But imagine the wisdom gained from going bankrupt, then digging your company out of financial failure and leading it into real success.

Failing, then trying again is not the same as success achieved from refusing to accept failure.  We can learn tremendous insight from the rare individual who has turned failure into success.