The Failure Syndrome: Don't Let it Infect You

When you mention failure, some people cringe, some cower and others twist their noses in a manner likely to suggest that failure is not their lot in life (and can never even dare come their way!). What sanctimonious pride!

There have been hyped messages suggesting (even dragging it to the "fact" list) that failure is part of life. Some have even gone to the extent of quoting what famous men (Sir Winston Churchill and his ilk) said about failure and take it that without failure one is as good as dead.

Being puffed up with the pride of knowing as many quotes as possible on failure and saying that you "fail forwards on the road to success" while, in essence, you are doing nothing to salvage matters, will not, and does not, help save face.

To come to terms with failure, we have to deal with the core causes first. We do court failure some of the time, giving it the time and space to bare its fangs. When we vacillate, its venom is injected into our systems paralyzing them.

Is failure staring you in the face?
Check these faucets:
 Time:
How do you use your time? Time is one of the most precious things all people are equally endowed with. Use it wisely and prudently. Plan well to make maximum profits from time invested.
• Don't ruminate over 'tomorrow' today at the expense of what has to be accomplished 'today'. Otherwise, you'll spend your 'tomorrow' regretting why you didn't do what you ought to have done 'today'. That's a wasted resource that can never, ever, be recovered.
 Opportunities:
The proverb 'Fortune knocks once at every man's door' has a subtle warning attached to it. Look at it twice and you'll see it: If you don't take up opportunity when it knocks, chances are that it won't come knocking again. Take opportunities for what they are: Gems on the scoreboard of success, and run with them to their utter limits.
 Bulldog Tenacity:
• You have to relentlessly pursue opportunities and relationships that have positive impacts on you performance. Without such a quality, some obstacles would mean the end of your journey to success. Hold on, fight through (snarl, if you can) and victory is yours for the taking.
 Relationships:
• No man is an island. You need people in order to advance your career. You need people to help you through. You need to lie on someone's shoulder for comfort and support. You desperately need people around you for approval (and criticism!)
• You can never wish to get the best from people around you if your relationship with them is shaky and feigned.
• Treat people well, show them that you care and you'll be surprised how they respond when you need them to help you out.
• Treating people well involves listening to them and valuing their input and effort.
 Trust and Integrity:
Being a man or a woman of integrity will open many doors for you. This is simply because most people like associating with people whom they can trust (of course there are others who have an acrid view towards faithfulness and integrity).
• Let people trust you with their money, secrets and well being. You need this in your quest for success.
 People's Mistakes:
• Try to know the reasons that made some people fail (in a certain venture, for instance) and purpose, with your heart of hearts, not to make the same mistakes. In essence, learn from other people's mistakes.

Failure is like a roaring lion that roams about seeking for prey to devour. At all costs, let the prey not be you.