Failure Is Never Fatal

For about the past year, each week I have been reading a chapter of a book that I choose with my 14 year-old son Robbie. Lately we have been reading Failing Forward by John Maxwell. This past weekend we read about the importance of taking a risk.

In the chapter, Maxwell had this to share:

The reality is that everything in life is risky. If you want to avoid all the risk, then don't do any of the following:

* Don't ride in an automobile--they cause 20 percent of all fatal accidents.
* Don't travel by air, rail, or water--16 percent of all accidents result from these activities
* Don't walk in the street--15 percent of all accidents occur there.
* Don't stay at home--17 percent of all accidents happen there.

In life there are no safe places or risk-free activities.

This reminded me of something I heard about Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. Michael Jordan is said to have missed more game-winning shots than anyone in NBA history. However, he has also made more than anyone. The same is true of Babe Ruth, one of baseball's greatest home-run hitters. He also has struck out more than most players.

Look back over your life. Wouldn't you agree that some of your most valuable experiences have come through mistakes or failure? In order to succeed, you must also fail along the way. In fact, the more you risk failure and fail, the greater your chances for success. So don't let fear keep you from moving forward!

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

John Wooden