People Have Success Stories; I Have Failure Stories
Whatever the platform, you will rarely see a failure story pop up on your timeline. People tend to talk only about how they became successful because it attracts the audience. No one wants to listen to a failure story. Why is that? Well, because we've misunderstood the word 'failure'. Let's dive deep into that later; let me first narrate my FAILURE story.
I was passionate about trying new things from a very young age. I never cared about failing and always wanted to do things regardless of the outcome.
Until the age of 16, I tried different things, but they didn't have a major effect on my life. It was when I turned 17 that 'doing business' started to fascinate me. That same year, one of my friends - back then - and I decided to start a small startup. We finalized the details and eventually gave it a shot. I won't say it was a complete failure; we did earn some bucks. However, we didn't get a breakthrough, and I was ditched by my friend as well. They left me halfway; our friendship broke. So, I failed.
It didn't stop my passion for trying new things, though. The next year, I teamed up with my cousin and another friend to start an online blog. We posted here and there, but we couldn't maintain consistency due to other commitments. It was more of a topsy-turvy ride. Although, overall we did earn some dollars as well, I'd still call it a failure for not living up to its potential. We could have done better.
Fast forward to today, I'm still trying new things because whenever I have failed, I've learned a new way of doing things. I will keep pushing no matter how many times I fail because I know that each success story has many untold failure stories associated with it.
Success doesn't come overnight; you have to put in the hard yards. Whoever says that they never failed is most probably lying. Failure isn't a bad thing; it's a good companion. Whenever you fail, you tend to learn something.
Shelley Davidow and Paul Williams beautifully describe the term 'failure' in their book, 'Fail Brilliantly'. They define failure as a building block of success. In the journey of becoming a successful person, each thing you fail at acts as a learning curve. It helps you discover yourself. It helps you reflect upon your mistakes, avoid them, evolve, and ultimately grow as a person.
Today, I narrated my failure story; one day I will narrate my success story. That's how it works.
PS: What's your perspective on failure? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
