How do you spell it, failure or FAILURE?

A new book just came out called "Celebrating Failure" by Ralph Heath. I had some recent experiences in short sales that went bad, and my first thought was to say I know better, then to ask myself how I could have been so stupid. I failed again, but now my thoughts are different about it. First I reminded myself about taking Socialogy in college back in the 60's, and remembering what a self fulfilling prohecy was. We see it all the time when people get on a jag or rant to show how bad things are. They look for what can prove to them that failing is okay without going deeper inside. You see it in real estate offices, when Realtors try to top each other to see who had the worst client or the worst closing. After one is finished the other says I got one worse. We can find this everyday. So I want to contrast failure with FAILURE.

FAILURE comes when we want to stop trying to make something work. Failure is when we try and it doesn't work, but the main point is we took the risk.

FAILURE is when we don't get immediate results and we quit what we are doing and say I told you so. Failure is when something new is not working, but you have the patience to say, let's give it another month.

FAILURE is when you don't even try because it is new and it requires that you stop and get some training. Failure is getting the training, and willing to make mistakes as you go along.

FAILURE is stopping the process because someone gets mad or ciriticizes you. Failure is continuing to make mistakes even though people are mad at you or criticize you.

We are not going to succeed without risk, and taking risk is probably going to involve failure. Let me make some suggestion about how to trun failure around.

Did I plan properly? Ideas are great, but action requires a schedule. Did you set a definite time aside, and did you have the support to get it done.

Did I judge myself too harshly? I am not a big fan of judgement and self criticism. it tends to freeze the moment in time, and does not allow for flexible thinking. You may find that a little tweak will change results.

Did I give it enough time? We all hear that patience is a virtue, and timing is everything. Yes they are cliches but that diesn't mean that they aren't true.

Am I committed? Sometimes people try something because someone tells them to do it, or they hear it from a trainer. Ask yourself the question, do I really believe in this?

Finally celebrate your failure. Find something noble in your struggle. Don't give up on the dream if you think it can still work. Ask yourself what can be done differently. Find people to brainstorm with, and don't make any rules. Sometimes the most ridiculous ideas are the ones that when they are brought down to earth are the ones that work. Don't be afraid to be thought of as ridiculous. The ones that laugh at you may be the ones with the most fear of change.

One last warning about celebrating failure. There is a danger. You may have to learn how to live with success.