Failures Make Us Stronger

I can recall a time in my youth when I feared failure. I became so cautious that I was reluctant to take any  risks . I was really risk adverse to such an extent that I had become the classic under-achiever.
At some stage I became aware of what Theodore Roosevelt ( American president 1901-1909 ) once said ; ” It is hard to fail but it is worst never to have tried to succeed “. This was good advice which I took to heart and it has informed my view of life since I first read it .
I mention this because recently I read some wise words from Eleanor Roosevelt who was a niece of Theodore and married to President F. D. Roosevelt ( 1933-1945) . She once said ; “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face ; you must do the thing you think you cannot do “.
Their advice ,taken together , should encourage us to be the best we can be in life. My mother often said ” God loves a trier” and ” never ventured , never gained “. I know that these sayings helped improve my self-esteem and in my own professional career I was prepared to improve myself or take on new responsibilities. Trying was more important than success or failure .
There were occasions when I was not successful . In these circumstances I had to believe that I could learn from failure and build my resilience. Attitude determines reaction and when I did not “win” I just concluded it was a learning experience . What I wanted was not meant for me. Move on and learn ! Perhaps , as a result , I could be a better person than I used to be. That was my philosophical view of disappointing outcomes .
There are many of us who fear failure and what it might do to us . Yet another famous politician ,Winston Churchill, once declared ” Success is not final, failure is not fatal; It is the courage to continue that counts “. Easier said than done you might say but all achievers in life learn to dust off failure and move on . Ask any sports person the reason for success and you will learn that success was built on a foundation of previous failures. ” The future belongs to those who believe in the future of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt .
We all owe it to ourselves to be the best we can be . Sometimes the enemy lies within-our negative attitude or lack of self belief. Believe in yourself and be stronger than your excuses. Success comes in ” cans” not ” cannots”.