The first part of this philosophy involves changing your views on “success” and “failure.” Most people imagine themselves in the middle of “success” and “failure.” From here they can only move in one direction. One path leads them to success, and the other path leads to failure. By doing everything they can to avoid failure, while moving towards success, they leave no room for obstacles along the path. The simple truth is you cannot succeed in anything without facing some sort of a struggle. Everyone will face at least one failure. A person does not pick up a guitar and play it perfectly in the beginning. That person will tune it incorrectly, accidentally play the wrong chord, forget how to play the next cord, etc. When that person does not let this get to him and persists on the journey to mastering the guitar, by embracing his failures he eventually becomes a professional guitar player. That person has attained his success.
Therefore, this concept of moving towards either success or failure must be thrown out the window. The proper mindset is to imagine yourself to the left of “failure” and “success.” This way you move through failure until you reach success, which is the destination. With this mindset, the person accepts and understands there will be obstacles, mistakes, and some failures along the journey to success. He/she takes advantages of these problems, using them to strengthen him/herself. In simple terms: Success is the destination. Failure is how you get there.
Now, you should understand that the first mindset is merely impossible and unrealistic. Failure is a requirement on the road to success. Remember that failure is not a possibility. In essence, failures are the most important part of attaining a goal. In addition, by understanding this concept, you can now have a more optimistic and positive attitude as you pursue your goal. Whether you are learning guitar, a sales person, or a doctor, you will greatly benefit from this simple philosophy.
If you truly desire to succeed in all areas of life, embrace this philosophy. Change your outlook on the road to success. It is impossible to avoid or ignore failure. So, why make things harder on yourself emotionally by attempting to avoid failure altogether? Instead, understand that you must travel through failure to reach success. The more failures you are faced with, the stronger you become and the closer you get to your destination. At the end of the day, you will feel a lot more satisfied with yourself and celebrate both your failures and successes. Isn't that more appealing than lying in bed with your muscles tense stressing about your failures and contemplating giving up your dream? The benefits of this philosophy will not only help you succeed, but make you happier overall. Remember that: Success is the destination. Failure is how you get there.
