Too often in life, people are told that failure is not an option. What if I told you that failure is not only an option, but a valuable tool in personal development.
I like to compare life to a round of golf. Imagine the 18 holes as your life timeline. From the first tee, to the final putt on the 18th green, a round of golf can provide many different sets of challenges. Just as life does.
Preparing for the first shot of the day can be a nerve racking experience. I don't know about you, but I feel my whole round rests on my first tee shot. The pressure of being perfect in front of onlookers is immense. A great shot builds confidence for the round, while a poorly executed shot leaves me wondering if I should even be playing.
Completing the first hole, regardless of score does one thing. Completing the hole creates a motivation to play great golf. Lets say you shot an 8 on the hole. Stepping up to the second tee, there is only one thing on your mind. Shooting better than 8 on hole number two. In case you birdied the first hole, the hope is for birdie or better on hole number two. As you can see, regardless of the score on hole number one, there is a deep desire to improve.
In order to improve, golfers take risks on the golf course. The long par 5 on hole 6, may allow them to reach the green in two. This of course does have its drawbacks. The green is surrounded by sand traps. The reward for executing a perfect shot may be lining up a 10 foot eagle putt. On the other hand is the reward worth the risk with many more holes to play.
One golfer decide's to play it safe, while their playing partner shoots for the green. Guess what? The partner lines up an eagle put, and golfer number one ends up swinging from the sand anyways. This is a recurring nightmare for many golfers. So what does it say about a golfer who plays it safe? The risk usually outweigh's the reward.
In life many people share this same setback. Why do so many people decide to play it safe? Like golf, do they believe that there is time left to hit the big shot? What if they're on the 18th tee? Or is a fear of ending up in the sand, when they take a big shot. Without taking risks, life ends up full of "what coulda's".
I believe failure to be one of the greatest tools for personal growth. I have never read a story of success, without a horrible failure involved. Having never failed means to me that, not enough risks have been taken.
Place yourself on the 18th green. Do you want to be the golfer who is 2 strokes down, knowing that you played a conservative round of golf free of any obstacles? Or do you want to be the golfer who is 2 strokes ahead, knowing that you played each hole as your last. The latter may hit more balls into the hazard area, but at the end of the day the reward greatly outweighed the risk.
Today could be your last. Therefore do not waste an opportunity to take on risks. What is the punishment for failure? Personal development and experience. Remember the greatest golfer of our day has a winning percentage under 25 percent. Could you be happy failing 75 percent of the time, knowing what kind of rewards the other 25 percent has to offer.
I was selling citrus cleaner door to door just over a decade ago. I took a risk and ended up sleeping in church courtyards in Washington D.C.. What did I gain? Life experience and the motivation to create a better life for myself. With the help of God, I have the ability to help others achieve the kind of life they deserve. I have been blessed to have the ability to share my experience and knowledge with others. Through the Bloomsayer philosophy anyone can and will improve their quality of life.