The subject line of this post is a quote by Truman Capote. I have always believed that not achieving instant gratification is a necessity. Failure is life’s way of moving you in another direction and truly allowing you to appreciate eventually achieving that success you have been striving towards.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
― Thomas A. Edison
(image credit: enchantedlearning.com)
I think of myself as a success because I have failed. My failures have given me a true sense of self and pushed me to want to attain that success that I covet. Failure is not an end, it is only a beginning. That defeat makes me rethink my original plan and construct a new plan, pushing me in a direction I may have not originally intended.
My failures do not define me, they strengthen me. I can accept falling short of a goal but I could never live with myself if I gave up trying. Just one line in the sand on the success side of my life is worth all of those hash marks in the failure column. A few dashes of inadequacy and a sprinkling of botched attempts make that main course of success that much tastier!
polysyllabic profundities 
This is inspirational. Yet, all my failures in sports never actually helped me along. They only made me more nervous the next time.
Maybe those sports failures pushed you in the direction of your writing and we are better off for it! 🙂
Maybe. Was this well written? http://thecutterrambles.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/im-done/
I think this may be one of the problems with society right now. Everyone expects instant gratification. They expect to have things work first the right time and when it doesn’t they claim it is broken, worthless, unnecessary and then move on to something that does work. Technology has evolved in such a way that we have become dependent on getting everything we want immediately… I think in time that will kill creativity and we will be a poorer society for it.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. And it is especially true of the new entitlement generation. They are not allowed to fail because their helicopter parents protect them so much from reality. It doesn’t benefit anyone to never learn things the hard way.
Love that expression “helicopter parenting.” I had a relative ask me if I was one and I had no idea what she was talking about. When she explained it to me, I laughed and then pulled out videos and photos of the Little Prince learning things the hard way.
It certainly is an expectation of society that we perform perfectly, and that anything less than a “win” is a loss. I always think about this at times like this as we approach events like the Olympics. All I hear is “our athletes will bring home the gold”. Can’t we celebrate them for going to the Olympics and giving it their best? And doesn’t a “loss” teach us more than a “win” ever could?
I applaud that comment and I agree we should celebrate them for giving it their best.
Of course, you are spot on!
This is a great reminder to embrace our failures. Love the Thomas Edison quote, by the way 🙂
I needed to read this this morning 😉 I love the Edison quote, so true! 😀
I can’t imagine you failing at all, my dear!! 🙂
LOL – no I’ve never failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work! 😀
Haha….that, somehow, makes me feel much better!! 🙂
I’ve written about more than my share of failures, that’s for sure. I’m kind of perversely proud of them. Success doesn’t mean much if the journey isn’t difficult.