The Most Motivating Video for Success
These Failures Make Millions of Dollars
The greatest mistake a person can make is to be afraid of making one.
– Elbert Hubbard
Take the example of a professional baseball player. As it is today, the player who gets just three hits in 10 attempts is at the top of his profession, making several million dollars a year. That’s a 70 percent failure rate! And the fans will no doubt taunt him when he strikes out.
And speaking of baseball, what a thrill it was to watch Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals as he hit 70 home runs during the 1998 season. He’s such an exciting player. But did you know that Mark McGwire struck out 155 times in 1998? And for his career, McGwire has hit 457 home runs; yet, he has struck out 1,259 times.
That’s almost three times as many strikeouts as home runs! When I ask you to name the best basketball player of all time, who comes to mind? I’m guessing that many of you immediately thought of Michael Jordan. He gets my vote. Let me share with you this statistic – Michael Jordan has a career shooting percentage of 50 percent. In other words, half of the shots he took in his career were “failures.”
Of course, this principle isn’t limited to sports. We also know that show business stars and media personalities are no strangers to failure. Many actors invest 10 or 15 years, enduring hundreds of rejections before landing a part that launches their careers. And then, even after achieving some degree of success, they still experience occasional box office flops.
On the night he graduated from college, Jerry Seinfeld did his first comedy gig. It was at a comedy club in New York City. He bombed. When asked to describe that evening, Seinfeld said, “It was pretty horrible. It was a terrible sinking feeling.” But he didn’t quit. He kept performing his stand-up routine at night. He had five very tough years. And then he was invited to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1981. He was a big hit… and on his way to an incredibly successful career.
In a nutshell, all these individuals realize that success, to a large extent, is a matter of persistence. That is, if you keep trying, keep developing yourself, and keep making adjustments along the way, you’re going to succeed. You simply need to get enough at-bats… go on enough auditions… visit enough potential clients.
Undaunted By Failure
I want to tell you about two guys who wrote a book containing a collection of inspirational stories. They figured it would take about three months to make a deal with a publisher. The first publisher they approached said “NO.” The second publisher said “NO.” The third publisher said “NO.” The next 30 publishers said “NO.” Having racked up 33 rejections over a period of three years, what do you think they did? They submitted their book to another publisher. The 34th publisher said “YES.”
And that one “YES” – after 33 “failures” – is what launched the spectacular success of Chicken Soup For The Soul, written and compiled by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. If you’ve been in a bookstore. I’ll bet you’ve seen that book. There’s a good chance that you’ve read one of the books in the Chicken Soup series. The Chicken Soup For The Soul series has sold over 30 million copies! All because Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen had the determination to fail over and over… and to keep going until they succeeded.
What sustained Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen through 33 failures? Their attitudes! If these guys had negative attitudes, they would have given up after the first or second rejection, missing out on a pot of gold. But their attitudes remained positive and upbeat – failure… after failure… after failure.
What’s a good attitude worth? In their case, about 10 million bucks apiece… and still counting!
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
– William Feather
Another example of someone who endured years of failure is the phenomenally successful radio host Rush Limbaugh. For years, Rush Limbaugh worked at low-paying jobs and was ridiculed before he made a successful breakthrough. After floundering in radio for 12 years, he was urged to get out of the business. In 1979, he left the radio industry and spent five miserable years in a sales job for which he wasn’t suited. In 1983, he returned to radio and the rest, as we know, is history.
So, when you get right down to it, there is no such thing as “failure” – there are only results, some more successful than others. Failure doesn’t mean you’ve reached the end of the line and that success isn’t possible. The only time success is impossible is when you quit. Quitting is final. But continued attempts, with commitment and diligence, can be turned into success.
Never Give Up
In the early 1990s, the owner of a Midwestern company called our office to inquire about my speaking programs, as well as our products and publications. I spoke with him on the phone and promptly sent out some information. When we called to follow up, he’d say that he was “thinking about it and hadn’t made a decision yet.” At the beginning, we called every week. No sale. Then, we called once a month. No sale. For a period of a few years, we kept calling this gentleman. We kept sending him quarterly newsletters and flyers. And all we had to show for it was one failure after another.
But in the spring of 1998, a representative of his company called our office, and I was hired to present a motivational program at one of their sales meetings. When I met the owner in person, he told me, “I was impressed with your persistence. Someone from your office kept calling me for years… and didn’t give up.” Sure, we put up with years of failure. But it was all worth it when we made that sale!
Key Questions
If you aren’t getting the results you want or have been discouraged by failures, ask yourself these questions:
1. Do I have an unrealistic timetable? Maybe you expect to “skip steps” and succeed on a grand scale immediately. Success is usually achieved by climbing one step at a time. And you don’t always know how long it will take to advance to the next level. So, be patient with yourself – and resist the temptation to compare your progress with that of anyone else! You’ll advance faster than some, slower than others. Maintain a great attitude… takes action… make adjustments… and the results will come.
2. Am I truly committed? Do you have a burning desire to achieve your goal? It’s essential that you be willing to do whatever it takes and that you banish any thought of giving up before you accomplish your objective. Of course, it’s much easier to be committed when you love what you’re doing. Therefore, go after those goals you’re passionate about, and harbor no thought of quitting.
3. Do I have too many discouraging influences? Unsuccessful results can be frustrating. That’s why we need to surround ourselves with people who support and believe in us. If you hang around with negative people who are highly critical or who are doing very little in their own lives, your energy, and enthusiasm will be drained. Therefore, develop a network of individuals to encourage and coach you toward success.
4. Am I preparing to succeed? Success in any endeavor requires thorough preparation. Are you taking steps to learn everything you can about accomplishing your goal? This means reading books, listening to tapes, taking courses and networking with highly successful people in your field. It might mean finding a mentor or getting a coach to work with you. Successful individuals are always sharpening their skills. Those getting unsuccessful outcomes often do the same things over and over without making necessary adjustments. So, be “coachable.” Accept the fact that you don’t already know it all and find resources to keep you on track and moving forward.
5. Am I truly willing to fail? Face it, failure is inevitable. You will encounter defeat prior to succeeding. In our hearts, we know our most valuable lessons come from our failures. Failure is essential for growth. Look failure squarely in the face and see it as a natural part of the success process. Then, failure will lose its power over you. The truth is, when you’re not afraid to fail, you’re well on the way to success. Welcome failure as an unavoidable yet vital component in the quest to achieve your goals.
