Some People Want Us to Fail

Posted on January 12, 2009

If you don’t take the shot, it’s impossible to score. That’s the bottom line.  If you don’t take a chance or don’t try to make a change, it will be impossible to succeed.

The thing is, though, when you do take that chance, there are always people who are hoping –secretly or openly– that you fail.

Why is that?  Why do some people want us to fail?  

Because when we fail, they feel better about themselves for not taking the chance we did.  They feel justified.

Failure can happen.  It’s a part of life.  When we do fail, we can learn from our mistakes and not make the same ones next time.  If we don’t take a chance, nothing will ever change.

Look, I know 95% of businesses fail in the first few years.  Does that mean I should never try to start a successful business?

I know completing a sprint-distance triathlon in under one hour is going to be tough (for me).  Does that mean I should refuse to train harder?

I know being a parent is going to be challenging.  Should I never have a kid?  

Just because something is hard and has a possibility of failure does not mean it’s not worth the work, even though those who want us to fail make it seem so.

Bottom line: We might have failures in life.  There will be those cheering when we do fail.  We have to learn to ignore them.  If we don’t shoot, we won’t score.

Have a great Monday and make something good happen today.  

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Comments

  • Pingback: Blake Hagen

  • http://fatfightertv.com/blog/ FatFighterTV

    Yes, always ignore the nay-sayers. They actually make me want to try even harder to prove them wrong!

    FatFighterTV´s last blog post..Refuse to Regain winner!

  • http://healthhabits.wordpress.com DR

    Perfect timing Blake…I needed this.

    DR´s last blog post..Grilled Wild Salmon with Braised Lentils, Orange Balsamic Reduction

  • http://www.jungleoflife.com Lance

    Hi Blake,

    Great reminder – and I love the basketball analogy. This reminds me of my daughter, who, when she started playing on a basketball team, was unsure of herself (even though she was good at home) – and didn’t take many shots. The coach saw that she had a good shot, and even encouraged us, as parents, to talk to her about shooting more. Now, she does, and has become the teams leading scorer. That’s not to say she makes everything. Far from it. Yet, she takes the shots, and that’s half the battle right there – just attempting, and being willing to fail. And because of that she has found great success…

    Lance´s last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day

  • http://homefitnessbody.com/blog Tom Rooney

    There’s a German expresion Shadenfrude which is almost sport to some. It means deriving joy from the misfortune that befalls on others. We go to a race track to see the guy who wrecks his car, not really the winner. It’s who many are in the world. I think sometimes it’s just the weird part of human nature for many to be so negative.

    Tom Rooney´s last blog post..Secrets of a Successful Weight Loss Diet