HOW TO OVERCOME FAILURE

Failure is inevitable if we are to succeed in life. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to overcome failure, and they are stopped by it when they encounter one. The ability to overcome failure is one big difference between successful and mediocre people. After all, we should pass failure on the way to success, so it is the ability to pass it that makes the difference between those who eventually reach success and those who don’t.

So, knowing that overcoming failure is essential, what should we do? Here are some tips to help you overcome failure:

1. Rise up and don’t regret; you have spent your time wisely

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw

When we fail, we might be tempted to think that we have wasted our time and thus regret it. But that’s should not be the case. The fact that you have done something is much better than doing nothing. Many people who despise persons who fail never do anything themselves. Rise up and move on. The regret lies not in doing, but innot doing.

2. Understand that failure is there to bring you wisdom

Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure.
William Saroyan

Failure is there not without a reason. It’s there to give you the wisdom you need to succeed. Each failure you encounter increases your wisdom and brings you one step closer to success. If you have this mindset, you will see failure differently. You will see each failure as an opportunity to learn.

3. Learn as much as possible from the failure

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Albert Einstein

While failure brings you wisdom, how much wisdom you will get depends entirely on your ability to harvest it. So don’t waste the opportunity to learn; harvest wisdom as much as possible from the failure. If you fail to do this, you may waste a lot of time by repeating the same mistakes in the future.

4. Don’t give up; maybe you are only one step away from success

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas A. Edison

The thought of giving up is tempting, especially when we have failed over and over again. But who knows that maybe you are only one step away from success? Will you waste the long journey you have passed when you are already so close to your destination?

So hold on tight and don’t give up. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times to perfect the light bulb. He knew what it means not to give up.

5. Maintain your enthusiasm

Not only you should keep on trying, you should also do it with the same level of enthusiasm as when you first began. Otherwise your subsequent effort will have less and less power.

So how do you maintain enthusiasm? One good way is by realizing that you are now one step closer to success thanks to the lessons you learn. There’s no reason not to be enthusiastic when you are getting closer to success. Another way is to keep your mind on the destination, which brings us to the next point.

6. Keep dreaming big dreams

Always have your destination in mind; keep dreaming your big dreams. Spend time to visualize them and let the dreams energizeyou. Let them make you passionate and enthusiastic. Once you cease dreaming, soon you will also lose your energy and be back to mediocrity. To overcome all the obstacles you encounter you always need a greater why, and that why is provided by your dreams.

7. Keep your confidence in yourself

Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.
Belva Davis

Keep your confidence in yourself despite the failure. Of course, you need to put a lot of effort and learn as much as possible from the failure, but you have the ability to make your dream come true. Many people who achieve great undertakings have no special trait. They are just ordinary people with extraordinary attitude. Let’s be one of them.

 

THE TRUTH OF SUCCESS

He was short. He was sharp. He was the brightest boy in his class . his seniors would ask him to solve their difficulties in science. he cud have gone unnoticed in the crowd , but once u ask him a question related in physics or maths , there was a spark in his eyes. He cud grasp theories of science faster than the speed of light.

 

he came from a poor but an educated family . his father was a high school teacher and an avid reader of English literature . he , like all the boys in his class was trying to get admission into some engineering college . the brighter ones wanted to study in the Indian institutes of technology . this boy , along with his friends applied to appear for the test . they didnot hv any special books or coaching . all these IIT aspirants would sit below the shade of a stone mantap close to chamundi hills in the sleepy town of Mysore . he was a guide to others.

While the others struggled to solve the problems in the question papers, he would smile shyly and solve them in no time. He sat below a tree and dreamt of studying in  iit . he was then only 16 years old .

 

D-Day came. he came to Bangalore , stayed with some relatives and appeared for the entrance test . he did very well but would only say OK when asked .

it was the opposite for food..."OK" implied bad. “Good" implied ok and very good implied good . his principle was never to hurt anyone ...

The IIT entrance results came. He had passed with the flying colors and the highest rank . he was thrilled ! He went to his father who was reading the newspaper.

"ANNA, I have passed the exam. "

"Well done my boy”

"I want to join IIT”

 

His father stopped reading the paper. He lifted his head, looked at the boy and said with a heavy voice ,"you  know our financial position , and i cannot afford your expenses at iit . u  can stay in Mysore and learn as much as u want . " his father was sad that he had to tell the bitter truth , but it cud not be helped .

the teenager was disappointed . he was so near to fulfilling his fondest dream , yet so far . his head sank in sorrow . he did not reply . he never shared his unhappiness with anyone. he was an introvert by nature . His heart was aching but he did not get angry with anyone.

The day came. His classmates were leaving for madras (today called Chennai) . They had shared good years at school and he went to wish them good luck 4 their future .at the station his friends were already there. they were excited and discussing their new hostels , new courses etc. so he stood there silently . one of his friends noticed and said " you should have made it " . he did not reply . he just wished them . he stood there even after he cud no longer see the train or the waving hands . it was June 1962 in Mysore . yet he stood there motionless . He said to himself without anger or jealousy , " all students in IIT study well and d big things in life . but it is not the institution , ultimately it is u and u alone who can change ur life with hard work . "

 

This son of a school teacher became a pioneer of the software industry. He is Infosys founder and present chairman , narayana murthy . his motto being ," powered by intellect , driven by values "

 

Study Plan

For most students, the most difficult part of any exam is the actual studying. Typically, there is so much material to study that students begin to procrastinate, putting off studying until the night before. After a late-night cram session, students arrive at the exam tired and feeling dazed by the sheer amount of information they've tried to absorb. The easiest way to study for an exam, and avoid the cram sessions, is to make a study plan.

Group or solo? - The first step to making a study plan is to decide whether you want to study alone or in a group. When planning study times and organizing study sessions for a group, the needs and schedules of the group are a factor. As a result, you must decide whether you will be studying with a group before continuing with making a study plan.

Time - There are two time elements that are crucial to an effective study plan. The first time element to consider is the amount of time you have until the exam, while the second is the amount of time during the day that you can set aside for studying. Try to study for at least two hours per day for major exams, like entrance exams, and at least thirty minutes per day for lecture exams. If you are limited on the amount of time until the exam, such as one week or less, then you will need to increase your daily study time. Set up a schedule with clearly marked study times for each day.

Content - The content to be studied depends on the type of exam. For placement exams, entrance exams, and licensure exams, there are no specific textbooks or prior lecture notes. There are, however, commercially available review guides, and textbooks and lecture notes from past class often contain a great deal of material that will help with the exam. By looking at the content areas of the test, you can determine what readily available material to study. For course-based exams, textbooks and lecture notes are both ideal study content. Break the content into chunks, and then assign specific chunks to the study times that you have listed on your schedule.
Chronological - Assign chunks of material to study times in chronological order. In other words, study the material in the order that it was presented. Remember to allot more time for studying the most important information.
Critical first - Assign study times so the most critical method is covered first, and then work down to the least important information. Allow more time for covering the most critical information. If you are having trouble with the most important information, re-assign time from the least important information.

The Studying Process

Once you have set up study times and assigned material to them, it is time to study. When reading textbooks, take notes on the information. With lecture notes, write notes in the margin. Use a highlighter. The idea is to make key information readily available for review. In addition, making notes and looking up ideas to supplement notes reinforces the material in your mind. Quiz yourself as you finish each area you are studying to determine what you still need to review.

Study plans are as unique as the person making them. The most effective study plan will take into account your schedule, the times each day when you are able to study without interruption, and the amount of material that needs reviewed. By spreading out the study times and breaking up the information, you make it easier for to absorb and retain the necessary material before the exam. 

Inspiration

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter said yes, but his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.

 It was an unfortunate way to end his career

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter

"This is your house," he said,

"my gift to you."

 What a shock! What a shame!

If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. If we build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best; at important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built

If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

 Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely

It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says,

"Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Your attitudes and the choices you make today will be your life tomorrow, build it wisely

 

Get motivated.....Stay motivated

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.
Andrew Carnegie

If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. You must know how to motivate yourself. You must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties. Those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over.

The question is: how do you motivate yourself? Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:

1. Have a cause

I can’t think of a more powerful source of motivation than a cause you care about. Such cause can inspire you to give your best even in the face of difficulties. It can make you do the seemingly impossible things.

While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry. Whenever you think that you run out of motivation, you can always come to your cause to get a fresh dose of motivation.

2. Have a dream. A big dream.

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.
Karen Ravn

Your cause is a powerful source of motivation but it’s still abstract in nature. You need to make it concrete in the form of a dream. Imagine how the world will be in the future. Imagine how people will live and work.

Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. Just think about people who play basketball. Will they be motivated to play if there is no basket to aim at? I don’t think so. They need a goal. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.

But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

3. Be hungry

Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.
Les Brown

To be truly motivated, you need to have hunger and not just desire. Having mere desire won’t take you through difficult times since you don’t want things badly enough. In many cases, hunger makes the difference between the best performers and the mediocre ones.

How can you have hunger? Your cause and your dream play a big role here. If you have a cause you care about and a big dream related to it, you should have the hunger inside of you. If you think that you are losing hunger, all you need to do is to connect again to your cause and dream. Let them inspire you and bring the hunger back.

4. Run your own race

I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.
Mikhail Baryshnikov

Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others.

Don’t let that happen to you. You have your own race so how other people perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is like comparing the performance of a swimmer with a runner using the same time standard. They are different so how can you compare one with the other?

The only competitor you have is yourself. The only one you need to beat is you. Have you become the best you can be?

5. Take one more step

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

When you meet obstacles along the way, there could be the tendency to quit. You may think that it’s too difficult to move on. You may think that your dream is impossible to achieve. But this is where you can see the difference between winners and losers. Though both of them face the same difficulties, there is one thing that makes the winners different: the courage to continue.

In difficult situations, just focus on taking one more step forward. Don’t think about how to complete the race. Don’t think about how many more obstacles are waiting for you. Just focus on taking the next step.

6. Let go of the past

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believe it or not, one of the best demotivators is your past. Your past can drag you down before you realize it. Your past can give you a heavy burden on your shoulders.

The good news is it’s a burden you don’t have to carry. Take it off your shoulder and leave it. You might make mistakes in the past. You might disappoint others with what you did. But it’s over. It’s already in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you.

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Apply these tips and motivate yourself. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Let your self motivation take you to excellence.