Failure is not an option

Failure - what does that mean, anyway?

OK, so maybe, just maybe you "fell short" of your goal.

Or someone didn't like what you did - and maybe even told you so, in no uncertain terms.

But you should take something from this.

Did you try your best? Did you do what you thought was right? Yes? So what is the problem? Why are you valuing the opinions of others above your own?

It's not about perfection in someone else's eyes - it's about striving to achieve the best you can, to be the best you can be - and to seek to improve and learn and move forward.

Failure is not an option, because the only failure there is would be to fail to try your best and seek to be better each day.

Passing the test

Every day you will face tests.

Testing your physical fitness or endurance.

Testing you knowledge and understanding.

Testing your patience and character.

It's not about passing such tests. It's about approaching them with the humility to understand that you may fail. And it's about knowing that you did everything you could to prepare for these tests, and knowing that whatever the result no-one can take that away from you.

Mirrors

Sometimes it is important not to think of what you are going to do, but to reflect on what you have done.

Learn from it. Grow from it.

Listen carefully

Can you hear it?

It's the sound of your own voice, telling you to just try.

It's better to aim high and miss, and learn from the experience, than aim low and hit the target.

Have a little faith

Why do you think you will "fail"?

What is so wrong about "failing", anyway?

It's an opportunity to learn, to progress, to improve.

If you don't try, you will never know.

Others may mock, but you have achieved, while they have not. You have learned, you have progressed, you have improved.

What have they done?

Isn't it better to aim high and fall short than to aim low and hit the target?

Finding fault

Sometimes it's hard to bite your tongue when you see someone's shortcomings.

But try, because you have them, too.

In fact, you've got *loads* of them.

Thank goodness that when someone criticises you they don't know how many faults you really have!

Choose

You always have a choice.

You choose how to react to what happens, no-one tells you how to respond.

So don't be pushed around, choose your response to events. Welcome them, however bad they feel, because without them you wouldn't have the chance to choose at all, would you?

Achieving the impossible

"But that's impossible!"

"I can't do that!"

"I could never be as good as X!"

Really?

Or are you just confusing something being hard with something being impossible?

They can do it. What is stopping you from doing it, too?

Just the job

So, there you are... all ready for it.

Yes, it's a job interview. Your palms are getting sweaty, your throat dry, beads of sweat are starting to form on your forehead...

Stop.

No, just stop.

What is it you are worrying about?

It's not really about the job, is it?

It's about what they think of you.

You are worried that they won't think you are good enough.

So what? What do their opinions matter? Why are you setting so much store by them?

What is your opinion of yourself? Shouldn't that matter more?

Focus on becoming the best you that you can be, not pretending to be a you that you are not just to try to sway someone else's opinion.

You can't control that, but you can control your own actions and reactions.

Do that thing

Did you ask something of someone and get an unfavourable reaction?

Maybe they said no to you, when you really hoped they'd say yes.

So you lost out?

No.

Did you ask for the right reasons? Did you feel that it was the right thing to do?

So you've gained, not lost.

Not only have you stuck to the principle of doing the right thing, you have lived it and shown it.

You control your reaction, not the action of another.

Be thankful that what happened has happened, learn from it and act on it.

Amor fati.