My Greatest Failure ? ? ?
When I was younger I remember I almost went down the road of thinking I was a failure but my father said what I thought was a failure was just actually me finding out how not to do something. He mentioned some quote from Thomas Jefferson who said "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." and in regards to the light bulb "I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work.
When I was young and impressionable this was a corner stone in my way of thinking but I didn't know it at the time. As I got older I would just look at things differently. People would and still do call me "Hard Working", "Someone who always gets the job done", "Never gives up", Relentless in his pursuit". I think it’s funny when people describe me that way because I am just doing what I think is right and not realizing I was programmed early on by my father to succeed and not fail.
As I have raised my children I have tried to do the same as my father. I won't let my children use the word "can't" I say either you want to or you don't, it’s that simple. I don't let them use the word failure because I don't think they are failures and there never will be. My favorite line I use with my children is "you started out a winner". This always puzzles them or anybody else I say this to for the first time but then I explain it a little further.
For some don't read on, this might be a little graphic.
What I said after I am asked what to I mean "you started out as a winner" it’s simple. I let the person I am talking to know that they started out competing with billions of sperm and they were the fastest swimmer, they were the strongest, they were relentless, and they took on the egg and won. They were the fastest sperm so they wanted to win and did.
I always get a little laugh, sometimes I get a “your sick” but I always receive a smile because they have changed their thoughts for just a minute and thought of themselves as a winner.
So to sum this up, my greatest failure would be having a different outlook on life, one that allows me to succeed and achieve my dreams.
I hope when you read this you get a smile, maybe a chuckle, but most of all, a new prospective on how we should all think, were not failures were winners from the beginning.
Enjoy
Shawn Krill, CPA
Associate Broker
Realty Executives Premier
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