`Never mind failures; they are quite natural, they are the beauty of life – these failures. What would life be without them? It would not be worth having if it were not for struggles. Where would be the poetry of life? Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow – never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backslidings; hold the ideal a thousand times; and if you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more.` 1
What is failure?
Normally when we do any work, we want the positive result from the work. But, positive result is not always come. Sometimes, we face negative results, which we call failure. In every step, we may face failure if our thinking is negative. Actually, there is no a negative result or failure in our life. All results are positive and they add one-step forward in our journey. In which sense, all the results are positive? Because, when we try to do any work with our full effort, our level is changing. From the old platform, we are going to a higher level of platform. This is our success, how small it may be. Count your blessings. Don’t think negatively or don’t look the darker side. Always think positively and always observe the brighter side. But, effort must be there, and the effort must be genuine. Building castle in the air is meaningless.
We fear failure
Normally we fear failure. Therefore, we are not ready to accept any new work or assignment. We love to lead our old pattern of life and nothing else. When, there is any new work or assignment, we react negatively. Ask any adult member of your family to go to market and purchase some vegetables for the domestic use, he/she reacts negatively. This is the daily picture of our family life. What is the reason for this sad situation? We are academically sound, but our inner life – which will give us strength and positive mental support, is neglected. Our human life is precious. We have infinite energy and divine potentiality. We can make our life beautiful; we can make our character perfect, neat and clean. This type of positive education is absent in our syllabus. We think, we are weak, we are unable to do any new work, we think we are not the fittest man for this assignment.
Welcome failure
Welcome failures in your life as failures are the pillar of success. When you face failure in your life that means, you are proceeding in the right track. Try again and again. Enrich yourself through the experiences you gained and forward. There is no other way.
Analysis of failure
Try to analyze your failures through the eye of science. Don’t blame your fate or your environment – as we are doing generally. Make a concrete plan and start your work. When you face failure – analyze the factors scientifically. What are the obstacles? Why I will not get my desired result? Is my effort genuine? Ask yourself and develop your analytical power.
Self-effort to overcome failure
Self-effort and perseverance are the two main factors. Your effort must be genuine and 100%. For this, the support from your mind is essential. Without this support, it is very difficult to continue the journey. Read the lives of great men of the world. Read the life of Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). While you are reading these lives, you will find their struggle, their effort, their perseverance in every field of life. Literally, their lives are not the bed of roses.
Think positively from this moment. Swami Vivekananda encourages us:
`To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. ``I will drink the ocean``, says the persevering soul; ``at my will mountains will crumble up``. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.` 2
`Whatever you think, that you will be, if you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be. 3
Positive thinking is necessary. For this, reading habit of good books, which will give us strength, is essential. I will recommend two booklets for everyday reading, especially to my dear students:
- Vivekananda His Call to the Nation
- Thoughts of Power
These booklets are a compilation of Swami Vivekananda`s message and published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, India. Please try to collect these booklets and make a reading habit. Instantly you will feel encouragement. ƒ
References
- The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda [CW] (Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata) Vol. 2. 152
- CW Vol. 1. 178
- CW Vol. 3. 130
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