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The Only True Failure is Quitting

You can quote me :)

"The only true failure is quitting." jolabreeze

For some reason, our human society uses primarily quantitative measurement for success and not qualitative. Failure usually means that numbers are bad (low or high depending on what is bad). I think, in part, people do this because it is easier. Easier does not mean better it just means... less effort. Also, people do it because they believe it to be objective. We all know that objectivity is the voice of reason and god. Objectivity says that if two boys love the same girl then we should cut the girl in half so each boy can have a piece. (sure this is oversimplification but this blog is about success and failure and not about subjectivity and objectivity) I think we need to (at least begin to) redefine success and failure.

How many artists have never had a showing but create beautiful pieces? How many authors have seen only rejection because their work cannot be marketed well not because it isn't well crafted? How many brilliant TV shows are cancelled after one season? (art is art here not high or low). We could ask these types of questions for each discipline that falls under the heading "Art." This is true for other domains in society as well. The business entrepreneur who runs a big company usually has had 3 to 5 bad experiences under her belt.

We have all had episodes of Crash and Burn in our lives. That happens. We should begin to look at these not as failures. Not because we do not want to face facts (there are those numbers again) but because we can learn and grow and be inspired by these events. They can be difficult AND good at the same time. This failure thing has a whole plane load of baggage with it called shame. I say forget about shame and embrace the Crash and Burn/difficult and good phenomenon of humility. Sure, we feel pretty shitty. But shit can become manure that produces beautiful flowers and nourishing veggies (i know that is corny but you get what i mean). Hubris is bad and the humble heart may not be big and bold but it is kind and strong.

These days I have come to see and believe that true failure is quitting (wallow in that shame). True success is simply not giving up. And that is a beautiful thing.
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