The “Foolish” Secret To Success

Did you know the star comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, froze with stage fright the first time he got in front of an audience? rnThe audience chased him off the stage with derisive laughter and boos. He had to fight through the shame and fear from this early experience to gain the poise that has made him a great performer. Nobody likes to look like a fool. But the truth is – as Seinfeld’s story illustrates - more often than not accomplishing big things means you have to risk looking foolish. And then get over it. Michael Jordan, the best basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school basketball team. He says, “I missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Fred Astaire was told in one of his first auditions that he can’t act or sing. All the director saw was a slightly balding man who “can dance a little”. He did not see star quality.[1] Being A Fool May Help You Achieve Success Nonetheless, these so-called “fools” forged ahead despite everyone shaking their head and saying they’d never do it. And as a result, not only did they prove everyone wrong, they transformed their fields with their skills. rnTheir stories are not unique. Literally thousands of stories like theirs litter the pages of history and every Who’s Who book. In fact, these kinds of stories are so common when it comes to successful people, I would even go so far as to suggest failing is a necessity for success! Why would I say such a thing? Because when it comes down to it, the real breakthrough moments in life don’t come from your comfort zone. They come when you’re flat on your face. Breakthrough comes when you have to tap into your last ounce of will to figure out how to move forward. And breakthroughs come from learning from your mistakes. My Own Story Of Overcoming Failure To Succeed I know this from my own life. After completing medical school, I hit one of the lowest points in my life when it comes to health. With my brand new medical degree, I was officially an “expert” in health. But I found myself struggling to get up each morning. My body was conking out on me – falling apart. It was only when I walked away from all the “expertise” I gained in earning my medical degree, that I was able to find my way back to good health. Not only that, but in life’s funny way, this willingness to question what I thought I knew – this break with conventional medicine - helped me find my ultimate path to success as a holistic doctor. As I learned the hard way, there is no easy way to gain the wisdom and experience you need to achieve. Don’t try to be a fool. But if you aim to do great things, prepare yourself to stumble and fall. Be ready to simply pick yourself up again, wipe the dirt off your face and move forward towards success. Sources: [1] 50 Famously Successful People Who Failed At First. Online College.org website.