So Near . . . and yet so far

Okay, so we've all heard the legends and fables about great people who failed miserably, designed to give those of us slogging through the day-to-day challenges of survival some glimmer of hope that we, too, can become a great success. Babe Ruth struck out more than he homered; Thomas Edison made 10,000 attempts to invent the lightbulb; Abe Lincoln never succeeded at ANYTHING until he was elected President. Yes, these stories do make me feel better. Success isn't defined by our accomplishments, but by the persistent effort to continue doing what we know is right. But, in the end these stories are still meant to give us the idea that, ultimately, the final result is all that matters.

Instead, what if we look at it from another angle? Failure, in and of itself, can be an accomplishment. What do I mean by this? Consider:

• If I hadn't failed to go to college when I was younger, I wouldn't have felt the need to "prove" myself at every job I've held. Because I had no formal education I always felt that I had to do better, be faster & work harder than those who had degrees.
  
• If I hadn't failed at marriage (twice) I wouldn't have learned about who I am, what I want & what's really important to me. I've learned to believe in myself, trust my instincts and survive.
  
• If I hadn't failed at getting my dream job, I wouldn't be in a position to work on some very exciting and potentially lucrative projects.

So, let's reconsider our failures in light of what we gained by them. How about you? How would you finish this sentence?


"If I hadn't failed at _____________, I wouldn't have __________."