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​Musings

These posts are my musings and cover many topics.  Some posts will be observations that I have made over my lifetime...some will be what I call, truisms.  Truisms that I have developed from having to deal with the tough situations life sometimes deals us.  I developed these little philosophies to help me avoid a situation in the future or  to allow me to have a better outcome the next time around.  All observations, truisms , and whatever other post this blog contains are  based on my own personal experiences and  opinions.  Hopefully, some post will be of some help to someone in a situation or  give someone another perspective...another way of looking/thinking about a situation that is helpful.  I love writing these posts and I appreciate you  reading them :-)

Please be aware there is a NEW  feature added to  some of the Musings.....AUDIO....There will be an audio bar on those Musings that offer this option.....You may not feel like reading at that moment....now you may listen:-)

Quote:

"All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind."- Gibran

FAILURE....A WONDERFUL THING......

5/11/2014

4 Comments

 
I have been wanting to write this musing for a while now....and today I was inspired by  this very topic....failure.  I failed and kept failing all day on playing a little song I wrote....6 hrs worth of failing......but, I think the right things will happen tomorrow because I kept at it and with each bad recording I learned something new...something that had to be adjusted technique wise...timing wise  and so on..

I never really think about the word "fail" until I hear people saying why they didn't do something....they failed at whatever.....I have had friends that thought like that.....I always smile at that because I am constantly failing.....I am expert on  failing....I actually like to fail because then I know what I am doing is challenging  and when I do accomplish it .....it will come with a rewarding feeling.  I get bored quickly when there is no challenge...so the difficult or complex is very exciting to me and failure goes hand in hand with difficult and complex anything....

I have always thought that failing should be taught in schools...not success....people see success as not failing...but, the reality is that there is much failing before success is achieved....

As in anything, there is a right way to fail and a wrong way....the wrong way is to simply give up.....the right way is  to figure out why you failed.....and determine what other approaches can be taken...and that process keeps on until success is reached.....I do a lot of different activities and always have....something new or a new approach....with this  kind of mindset comes a lot of failing...I expect it...I always have found things to be difficult to achieve so I just  keep failing until I get it right....I just keep "bumbling" along as I like to say :-)

A side topic of failing is not wanting to be wrong... a lot of people  who are reticent are like that.... they don't want to say something as they might be told they are wrong by either someone who knows more...or who doesn't....sometimes people who are considered to be knowledgable  get to be like this....as if anyone is expected to know everything....this is another area that I excel in...being wrong...and I am happy to state what I think , in hopes that someone will set me straight if  what I think is not quite right or I have misunderstood something....I have found thruout my life that people who know things and are knowledgable love to tell people ....who are either wrong or clueless ...what they know.....It is a great way to learn or get ideas....and even have other options  to consider...I have no problem with being considered clueless or wrong....because , in my mind, it is tangible results that matter not an intangible feeling of "being right"...the more a person knows....the better chance of a successful result....so, if someone wants to inform me...I am happy to listen ....

There is one more area that is on my mind but is a little off topic...one thing always seems to lead to another...

Sometimes people feel they will be considered weak or dumb if they ask for help and don't seek the help they need with whatever.......I look at that another way... based on my  personal experience, I ask anyone I consider knowledgable for help and also I am asked a lot to help people in my  areas of limited expertise....I feel good when someone needs help and I can give it to  them and I don't really give a thought that they , who asked me, are lacking in any way.  For my part, I seek out the most knowledgable people I can find that will talk to me and I put myself in their hands and listen carefully.....

Every famous person has gone thru failure and hardships on their path to success.....Bill Gates' first business failed...when he and his partner tried to sell their product...it wouldn't work !!...Einstein didn't speak until he was 4 yrs old and his teachers weren't happy with him as he had his head "in the clouds".....Jim Carrey used to be homeless....Stephen King's first novel was rejected 30 times... I could go on and on as I researched this before I started the musing...all these stories inspired me....Even though these people failed, they are not failures and neither are we, when we fail on our path to success .....it is to be expected....

To summarize...based on my personal experience...I have found that it is not failing  or being considered wrong that limits a person's progress ...it is the FEAR of failing and the fear of being perceived as wrong or weak that limit's them.....

QUOTES:
This is my favorite one:

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill


It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.-
Bill Gates


I know this one to be true :

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.
Thomas J. Watson


Without failure there is no achievement.
John C. Maxwell


Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes its built on catastrophe.
Sumner Redstone


The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.
John C. Maxwell



Personal Note:...I loved writing this musing...I  was so happy and enthused as I wrote...I look forward to  my next failing...it will come soon, I am sure :-)

4 Comments
Bob Warner
5/11/2014 02:39:52 pm

Interesting view....I was introduced to the 4-H motto many years ago..... ''Learn to do by doing'' This does not mean you wont experience failure...But if you ''Do'' you keep on ''Doing'' until you have success...a motto that has stead me well...

Reply
Mellow Cello link
5/11/2014 03:38:45 pm

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Bob, with your very right on words....yes, that's exactly what this is all about and what all the motivational gurus like Brian Tracy talk about.....If I was familiar with the 4H motto I would have mentioned it.....Thomas Edison tried 1000 times before he was successful with the light bulb...success and achievement does not come easy so expecting many failures makes it easier to keep on trying ....Your astute input is very much appreciated......

Reply
Nurtan Esmen
5/12/2014 01:42:49 am

Good essay Mary, thank you. I think failure is an ambiguous word describes an outcome without a reference to how or why it happened. I wish we use words to differentiate between failed due to something one can learn from and failed due to an external random event such as struck by lightning, genetic defect, etc.. The first type of failure could and should be beneficial in the growth of one's capabilities, happiness etc. The second kind is a useless outcome with no redeeming features. I feel one other thing we have to learn is not to dwell on a second type failure and just move on.

Reply
Mellow Cello link
5/12/2014 09:16:41 am

I appreciate your very well said thoughtful summarization of my topic....I, of course, totally agree with what you said as far as moving on after a catastrophic event beyond our control....where I differ is I do not classify that type of an event beyond our control as failure...except the failure of "Fate" to give us break instead of a catastrophe :-)....I would never consider a person who got hit by lightning or a serious illness etc as failing at anything....and you are so right when you say that when an event like that happens....we just have to move on.....it seems ...and I mention this fact a lot in my other musings......that we need to be willing to move on a lot ...next to liking to fail, Nurtan...I like thinking and discussion best....thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so here :-)

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    Who Am I ? 

    I am an adult female who is a cellist, composer, and a student of life experiences (by necessity).  I feel we are all students in life until the day we die.  I am, a realist and I try to stay grounded in what I feel is  the truth in any situation. I feel we have a responsibility to God, ourselves, and the people who love us to be the very best person we can be.

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