In order to fail you must have tried something new
by Yvonne F. Brown

“If you have the seed of success within you, a little adversity and temporary defeat will only serve to nurture that seed and cause it to burst forth so it can blossom.” - W. Clement Stone

One of W. Clement Stone’s favorite motivating phrases is:“Every adversity carries within it the seed of an equivalent or greater opportunity for those who have PMA* and apply it.”

It’s true. Think of the people you have known personally who failed at one thing, only to go on to great success at something else. Seldom is defeat permanent. I present here a few famous examples:

Chicken soup for the soul was rejected by publishers 170 times - now it's sold 70 million copies

Walt Disney received 302 rejections for financing loans for Disney World

Elvis was fired by the manager of the Grand Ole Opry with the statement "son you ain't going anywhere!

Albert Einstein was originally rejected from his choice round university on the grounds that he showed no promise.

HR Macy failed 7 times before his store MACY's of New York succeeded.

Colonel Sanders the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken spent more than 2 years traveling around in an old car trying to sell his chicken recipe before he got any takers. He was rejected 1,009 times before he found a buyer. But today his restaurants are in virtually every town in America.

These people succeeded because they persisted. If they persevered, and succeed, so can you. Persistence is the measure of the length to which you will go to succeed. It reflects your commitment and refines your character and ultimately it will lead to your success.

President Coolidge once stated: "Nothing in the world will take the place of perseverance. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent, Genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. With the unlimited power of persistence on your side You Can Do It!

Starting today think of what you would do if you knew that you could not fail. Write it down and get to work. At the end of the day take stock in your accomplishments. I guarantee you will have made progress. And this progress will be an incredible self-esteem builder that underscores that You Can Do it.

“Our strength,” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “grows out of our weakness. Not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at, awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces. A great man is always willing to be little. Whilst he sits on the cushion of advantages he goes to sleep. When he is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a change to learn something; he has been put on his wits, on his manhood; he has gained facts; learned his ignorance; been cured of the insanity of conceit; he has got moderation and real skill.”

Failure often has the habit of placing one in a position that requires unusual effort. Many a man has wrung victory from defeat, fighting with his back to the wall when he could not retreat.

Caesar had long wished to conquer the British. He quietly sailed his ships to the British Isles, unloaded his troops and supplies, then gave the order to burn the ships. Calling his men together he said, “Now, it is win or perish. We have no choice.” Of course they won. Most people do when they make up their minds to do so.

* Positive Mental Attitude

[1] Partial except From – “Believe and Achieve” - A Napoleon Hill Program