Certainty And Failure

by: Mitch W. Steel nwww.succcess.orgnAuthor "The 3 C's of SUCCCESS"n-------------------------------------nn“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” n~Clint EastwoodnnnSeems EVERYONE wants a guarantee these days.nnSimilar to the microwave ‘complex’ (http://www.succcess.org/2008/08/11/the-oak-tree-vs-the-microwave/) the majority of people seem to FEAR failure. They seek certainty. Who can blame them? Unfortunately, the problem with certainty is it simply doesn’t exist- not in this world. Don’t take my word for it. Consider this quote straight out of Wikipedia, “It is widely held that certainty is a failed historical enterprise“. How good is that?nnThe absence of any certainty creates FEAR!nnn(Zig Ziglar's acronym for FEAR is; False Evidence Appearing Real) which prevents people from trying new ideas, learning new things and often times even pursuing their dreams. Simply put, FEAR can cripple one’s ability to create their success - that is, TO CREATE THEIR IDEAL FUTURE. (previous post)nnFear is the path to the dark sidenFear leads to angernAnger leads to hatednHate leads to sufferingn~YodannHave you ever considered what the opposite of SUCCESS is?nnRemember, it’s probably best to have a definition of success and preferably not some trite little slogan like “to have a lot of money and a lot of friends”. I humbly recommend you figure out that definition prior to attempting to understand its opposite (above). nnSo what is failure and what is its definition? (a good question indeed) Typically, students tell me failure equals the opposite of success. But, we all wondered collectively, could that really be the opposite of success?nnConsider Thomas Edison, reportedly 10,000 + failures to develop the light bulb. Had he not “failed” so many times he wouldn’t have realized the end result - the incandescent light bulb. No, “failure” you should be VERY HAPPY to note is NOT the opposite of success.nnI came upon a great answer many years back in one of my early ‘Success Skills’ classes. A wonderful Hispanic girl, I can’t recall her name, provided an answer so profound I nearly fell down. “Hopelessness” she declared with a sense of pride. I was so blown way. “That is it!” Of course, who could possibly become a success if they are hopeless? nnWithout hope there is no possible way to succeed! And, with hope all things are possible. I strongly encourage you to always maintain a sense of hope. nnHope is both a thought and an emotion only YOU can control! nnTypically, when one feels hopeless they are forecasting a dismal future. They are leaving the NOW, the present moment and putting their attention and focus (even using their imagination toward an image or an outcome that is totally discouraging). The ‘reality’, of course, is they have the ability to use those same ‘mental tools’ to project from a hopeful perspective and to positively envision a victorious outcome just as they might a discouraging one.nnOften times, hopelessness arises from the absence of certainty. Since we now understand certainty to be nothing more than an illusion we can feel liberated rather than discouraged! If there is no certainty - you have nothing to fear. GO FOR IT! Those who are successful are not only the people who have failed multiple times, they are the same brave souls who recognize there are no guarantees! nnSUCCESS is a process and FAILURE is a REQUIREMENT for success.nnWhen one can accept these truths; that failure is a prerequisite for success and that certainty is an illusion, they are likely to find the route to success much more enjoyable and ‘arrive’ far more quickly.nnYou are encouraged to move forward bravely. To use your powers of imagination to aid you in the attainment of your goals and not to let fear or uncertainty prevent your from taking those critical initial steps. (see Belief Tree post -prior).nnnCourtesy: Mitch W. Steelnwww.succcess.orgnnn