and the answer is yes but I also believe that an essential ingredient of any lasting success is failure or at least adversity.
You see I think obstacles and set backs are presented to us to test our measure to find out if we truly are worthy of achieving success. I heard a quote once that said "Show me a person who has never failed and I will show you a person who has never tried"
I know it's cliched but it so very true that it doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down what is important is how many times you get back up again. Life is always going to throw us a few curve balls but it's how we react to them that will shape our destiny for either the good or the bad. You can't control all of the events in your life but you CAN control how you react to them.
I love to read the biographies of people who have done extraordinary things and I am yet to read one where the person has not faced failure and hardship along the way, so why should you be any different? the answer is you're not so you are going to have to accept that speed bumps are going to be a real part of your journey and the higher you aim the bigger the risks you will need to take therefore the likelihood of things going wrong are much greater but so too are the rewards.
Lets look at a few very successful people that I'm sure you know and have a look at some of the obstacles they overcame to change the world.
Albert Einstein
- Had speech difficulties as a child
- Failed his University Entrance Exam
- Could not find work in the sciences and had to take a job with the Swiss Patent Office
Abraham Lincoln
- Fired from his Job
- Defeated for state legislator
- Failed in Business
- Sweetheart Died
- Had a nervous breakdown
- Defeated for speaker
Steve Jobs
- Abandoned by his birth parents
- Ousted from Apple
- Failed in business with Next Computers
Nelson Mandela
- Expelled from college
- Arrested for civil disobedience
- Imprisoned for 28 years
So I think you would agree that these people have made a contribution to the world as we know it, none of them came from privileged backgrounds and all had more than their share of adversities to overcome. I think what's important here that when we face our challenges even if they knock us down for a while is to not give up on our dreams and ourselves. Many of the stories I have read speak of how they thought about throwing it in and somehow found the courage to keep going only to find that success was just around the next corner but had they given up all of our worlds would be a very different place. Even if right now you are facing something that has had you out of action for a while it's not too late to get back on the horse, sure you may have lost some time and probably momentum but I can assure you of one thing if you don't get back up you will never live the life that you aspire to and deserve.
Have an Exceptional Week
Rob Larney
Director and Life Balance Mentor
Exceptional Life Balance
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