Opinion

| Bahrain Confi dential | October 09108

A Master of FailureAt some point in our lives, we are all gripped with a crippling fear. Some won’t admit it, but most people will. This crippling fear is that of failure. This fear is so appalling that it stops the majority of people from even taking the fi rst step.

t boggles me that so many out there will never take a step towards their dreams because they are too afraid of failing. They are afraid of something that has not happened yet. I will repeat that, something that has not happened yet.

Yes the idea of failing is a scary and daunting thought. After all who wants to fail? Certainly no one wants to be associated with failure and unfortunately it’s for that reason that many never capitalise on their talent and potential. Their worry often cripples them.

I would like to suggest that standing still is a bigger failure if you compare it to

failing moving forward. Because if you

give something a go and fail, you have at the very least walked away with valuable lessons.

We tend to look at the world’s greatest people and admire them for the success they have in life. What many don’t realise are the numerous failures they have had to experience along the way. Take for example Michael Jordan, a basketball great. To this day many are in awe of him and his achievements on the court. He’s not only the inspiration of many

current basketball champions, but just about every young aspiring kid out there interested in the sport.

This is what Michael had to say about the reason for his success, ‘I have missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I have lost almost three hundred games. On twenty-six occasions, I have been entrusted to take the game’s winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is precisely why I succeed.’

Talk to anyone successful and they will tell you of all the times they have failed. They will tell you that for the success they have today; they have had to endure many failures. They will share with you that the

rewards of getting what they want far outweighs the failures they have

faced. They will declare that their failures have been the foundation for their success.

Those winning in their game are those who embrace failure as something that will remain constant throughout their lives. No matter how successful they are in whatever they do,

they will have the failures to go alongside it. Their mental acceptance of failure as meagre stumbling blocks is a reason for their immense success.

A few years ago, a client of mine asked how I turned every negative situation into a success.

My reply was very simple and from the heart. I told him that I produce more failures at any one time than a hundred people put together. It seems that the harder I try, the more I fail. But whilst

most people focus on the failure, I learn my biggest lessons from my failures. I operate smarter because of my failures, and I achieve bigger things because of my failures. Failure is one side of the coin, without which the other side (success) couldn’t exist on its own.

With that, allow nothing to stop you in this world. Set out towards what you want to achieve. Expect mini-failures along the way, but always keep your eyes on the prize. It is there waiting for you to claim it.

Every winner out there has had to fi rst become a Master of Failure ■

Kevin Abdulrahman is ‘The Man Inspiring Millions’. He is an international author of ‘THE BOOK on Winning the Game of Life’, a Keynote Speaker, Mind Nutrition Expert, World Class Mind Coach to the elite and an in-demand trainer. Kevin’s articles are regularly published in magazines, reports, newsletters and newspapers, constantly being used as resources all over the world. Kevin helps organisations, universities, sports teams and individuals create breakthrough results.

To have Kevin Abdulrahman speak/train your group, you can contact his team on www.TheManInspiringMillions.com or email: info@MeetWithKevin.com

I‘I have missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I have lost almost three hundred games. On twenty-six occasions, I have been entrusted to take the game’s winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is precisely why I succeed.’

Kevin Abdulrahman