Failure is Not a Person

"Failure is an event, not a person" ~Zig Ziglar

I often sit back and think about all of the experiences that I have had throughout my 22 years of life.  As someone who wishes to find success in life, it is important to evaluate all of the experiences that have helped you to develop as a person along the way.  Along my path I have come across some bumps and those often have come in the form of bad decisions or failures.  If I have learned anything over the past several years, it is that a person should not define his or her life by temporary failures in their past.  In moments of failure, it is easy to see yourself as a failure.  Zig Ziglar put it best when he said that “failure is an event, not a person.”  The average age of a person is approaching 80 years old.  That’s a lot of time to live.  To think that we can live life without experiencing failure at times is absurd.  To never fail would be to call yourself perfect.  There is only one man that ever lived on Earth that was perfect and he is neither you nor I.

Failure can come by our own doing or by events out of our control.  What is important is to approach failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.  During student teaching, I used tests to evaluate my students.  While students see tests as a way to earn a grade, teachers see tests as a tool to assess areas for improvement.  If you are like me, you haven’t passed every test you have taken and the ones you haven’t passed challenged you to learn what you did wrong so that you wouldn’t make the same mistakes in the future.  Life is no different.  In moments of failure, I encourage you to evaluate the event using four steps:

  1. Define what went wrong. 

  2. Determine the reasons for failure.

  3. Develop methods or ways to avoid this failure in the future.

  4. Discover what you have learned from this event.

For Christians, we can be joyful in knowing that we are not judged by our failures.  God has a plan for our lives and failure often comes with a lesson.  Do not judge yourself or anyone else harshly because Romans 8:1 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  And better yet, we can be hopeful that we have a great future ahead.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Failure is an event.  Do not let it define who you are.  Just like any other date in time, an event of failure happens and then passes with time.  Let it stay in your past.  Timon and Pumbaa hit the nail right on the head in The Lion King when they told Simba to “put your past behind you.”  Leave your failures in the past and move forward, learn from your failures, and pursue success.  If you do these things, I know I will see you on the highway to success!

Live Your Values

“You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.  You've got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string.  Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name.  You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything” ~You’ve Got To Stand For Something

To value means to appreciate something; to place priority on someone or some thing.    Have you stopped lately to take stock of your values?  I know this may be old fashioned but I believe that a life founded upon your values can lead to great happiness and success. 

Our values determine our actions and where we invest our time.  Values often shine in times of controversy.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."   Who you truly are will be exhibited under pressure.

Your actions each week will show what you truly value.  If you value your faith, then you will make it a priority to attend church on a regular basis.  If you value service, you will find ways each week to make a difference in the lives of others.  If you value family and friends, you will make an effort to call them or spend time with them on a regular basis.  Are you following me?  Your values will impact your actions.

On my wall, I have a list of my values.  Things such as God, helping others, agriculture, family, community, and education are on this list.  I also include character traits such as integrity, respect, and responsibility.  I post this list on my wall to remind me each and every day to live my values.  I often find that when I am most stressed, worried, and unhappy, I have not been fully including my values in my life.  Back in August, I began graduate school at NCSU.  During these few weeks, I have been reading a lot, working on homework, and going to class.  I began to feel unhappy and not quite right.  I read through my values list again and realized that while working on classwork, I had forgotten to spend time with friends and family.  Last week, I made an effort to spend much more time with them.  It was the best week I’ve had all semester! 

Consider your values.  What do you appreciate most in your life?  Write these down somewhere where you will see them on a regular basis.  If you live your life founded upon a core set of values, I believe you will find success in life and I will see you on the highway to success!