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The Turning Point of Success

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Turning Failure Into Success – Steps 11-15

This week in our Wisdom Note, we continue to explore the steps needed to turn failure into success. Obstacles and failures, if handled wisely, can actually become our stepping stones for a successful life trek.

As we continue today, we will use five more stepping stones as we traverse life’s trails before us. Our lives are filled with obstacles, difficulties, and, at times, failures. Here are five more ways we can navigate over, under, around, and through the obstacles of life.

Overcome the fear; overcome the procrastination. Fear of failure, not the failure itself, is the biggest roadblock to your success. When you have overcome the fear of failure, you overcome your procrastination and excuses for inaction. Thereafter you are well on your way to fail, learn, and succeed like never before. When you run into fear that is blocking you from taking action, ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that can happen if I take this action?” Unless it is physical harm or death to you or someone else, then what is stopping you? Everything else can be overcome. Ralph Heath put it this way, “The quickest road to success is to possess an attitude toward failure of ‘no fear.’”

Stepping Stone #11 – Overcome the fear by taking action.

Not getting what you desire can be a blessing. Not obtaining success immediately can be a real blessing because it forces you to reevaluate things and gain a new perspective. It opens new doors to opportunities and information you would have otherwise overlooked. When the rewards of success are great, so are the challenges. Embracing the possibility of failure is key to taking on a variety of risks, whether you’re reinventing yourself by starting a new business or allowing yourself to trust another person to build a deeper relationship. “Clouds in our lives are sent many times to bring showers of blessing.”

Stepping Stone #12 – Failure can be a blessing in disguise.

Failure teaches us to blame ourselves first and take responsibility. Our first reaction to failure is to blame anyone/anything but ourselves. If we perceive others are to blame, then there is nothing we can do to correct the problem. We cannot change people’s personalities, neither can they change ours. If we assume responsibility, then we can analyze what went wrong and take corrective action. This is the art of bouncing back from failure. To achieve your personal best, to reach unparalleled heights, and to make the impossible possible, you can’t fear failure. You have to take responsibility for your actions, you must think big, and you have to push yourself. “The more you take responsibility for your past and present, the more you are able to create the future you seek,” Celestine Chua.

Stepping Stone #13 – Failure teaches us to take responsibility.

Failure forces us to do things right. Failure is discouraging. It drains energy and resources, but it forces us to do things right. Failure separates those who think they want success from those who are determined to succeed. Failure narrows the playing field. The first people out are those that blame others, and the next out are those who lose interest. The weak go first. The strong learn to hang in there and keep bouncing back until they win. “It’s true that not everyone is positive by nature,” John C. Maxwell.

Stepping Stone #14 – Failure forces change.

Failure tells us we are going in the wrong direction. If you are out hiking and find yourself on a trail that will not lead you to your destination, then you are forced to stop, change course, and get on a correct trail. Continuing down the same path will only get you farther from your destination. In personal or business very often, this change of direction is forced on us because we are out of money or resources. Once we come to that realization then we are free to choose another path. The wrong path should not be viewed as time wasted but as lessons learned. When you try a new trail, chances are you will get it right. New paths will result in bringing you to the correct direction. “Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction,” Max Lucado.

Stepping Stone #15 – Failure helps us to get back on the correct path.

As we look at the practical lesson from the Scriptures on how failures resulted in success, we will read today of Moses’ response to his father-in-law Jethro, who gave Moses a plan to turn his failure into success when judging the Hebrew nation.

Let’s continue the story in Exodus 18:24-26, “Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.”

From Jethro’s advice, Moses structured the first court system for the Hebrew nation. He set judges up in a hierarchal form to alleviate the need for judging all the people himself. Finally, Moses had time to focus on what he was called to do, which was to lead the entire nation. He truly achieved success through his failure.

What are the areas of your life where you need to turn the failures into successes? In next week’s Wisdom Note, we will see how Gideon failed to trust God but through a series of tests was able to succeed.

Turning Failure Into Success

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Success Steps 6-10

This week our Wisdom Notes are coming from beautiful Rio Verde, AZ. I am here working with our partners on our construction projects. Phase I is coming to an end within the next month. We are hopeful that the developer will move forward with Phase II immediately. That decision is based on the strength of sales on the first 12 town homes. There are a lot of steps in a project of this size, and we do run into glitches and missteps frequently. It requires us to turn those failures around in order for the overall project to be successful.

This week we continue to explore the steps needed to Turn Failure Into Success. Obstacles and failures, if applied correctly, can actually become our stepping stones for a successful life trek.

As we continue on, we want to use five more stepping stones as we traverse life’s trails before us. Our lives will be filled with obstacles, difficulties, and, at times, failures. Here are five more ways we can navigate over, under, around, and through the obstacles of life.

The more you fail, the more you learn. While we should not purposely fail, we need to thrive on the wisdom and experience that we gain from failing. We need to soak it in and embrace it. Our objective each day should be to make a positive difference in the lives of others through taking action.

When we take smart action we should never fear failure. We need to persevere in spite of failures. Every failure is a learning opportunity on how not to do something or how to do it better. If we are going to be an achiever then to some extent failure is the way of life. Every failure makes us much more determined to succeed. “Failure and defeat are life’s greatest teachers but sadly, most people, don’t want to go there!” Ralph Heath.

Stepping Stone #6 – Learn from your failures.

Failure can be positive or negative. Failure is a learning tool. Thomas Edison failed a thousand times before he invented the lightbulb. Failure is trying to do things others have not considered. It is a temporary by-product of creativity. It is challenging the learning process. A reporter once asked Thomas Edison the inventor of the lightbulb how it felt to fail 1,000 times? “‘I didn’t fail 1,000 times,’ Edison responded. ‘The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Stepping Stone #7 – Failures are steps to success.

Failure is experiential education at work. To be a real winner in life you need to endure failure and the agony it produces. Success is achieved when you are willing to take risks and lose. Most people choose to engage in occupations and activities that are safe and predictable. If you enjoy that, do the very best you can and enjoy each day. For many people, those occupations don’t deliver satisfaction, fulfillment, or joy in living. If you find yourself in that position, then for you, failure is not to move in the directions of your dreams. If you desire something more, then take action, “Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying and pursue your dreams, or you will only fail by taking no action.”

Stepping Stone #8 – Failure provides experiential education.

Failure can be a weapon. We can learn discipline through failures. It allows us to sharpen ourselves against the grindstone of failure. We do not need to make excuses for failure. We need to allow it to be the weapon of determination to succeed. Although you might fail incredibly, you might succeed incredibly, and that’s why incredible risk and courage are required. Fail or succeed, either way, you’ll learn more than ever about your strengths, talents, and resolve, and you’ll strengthen your will for the next challenge. “Sharpen your success weapons on the grindstone of failure.”

Stepping Stone #9 – Use failure as your weapon to succeed.

Failure programs you for success. Every failure has a built-in mechanism to auto-correct and reprogram you for success. Therefore, think of failures as a way of programming you to improve and succeed. When we fail, we naturally activate the auto-correct mechanism that provides us with the tools needed to work successfully the next time. “You’ve got to keep finding better ways to run your life, or someone will take what you’ve accomplished, improve upon it, and be very pleased with the results.”

Stepping Stone #10 – Program failures into success.

Let’s continue with a practical lesson from the Scriptures on how failures resulted in success. In last week’s Wisdom Notes, we left off with Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, rebuking him for how he was handling the administration of cases that were brought before him for judgment. Up until this point Moses was handling the entire workload himself – sounds like something I would attempt.

Let’s continue the story in Exodus 18:19-23, “Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

Notice the wise advice from Jethro to solve the issue of Moses. Moses was floundering and struggling with keeping up with the workload. You might say he was failing in his ability to handle the situation.

Jethro’s first advice to Moses was to let him know that he is still in charge and responsible for what goes on, but he does not have to do all the work himself. In fact, we already saw that he was not capable of doing so. He instructed Moses to teach others to handle the matters of dispute, except the very major ones. But Moses had to make sure that he chose not only capable men but also honest men who would execute the laws properly. You can see from these instructions that most modern societies have their court systems patterned after these suggestions.

In next week’s Wisdom Notes we will see if Moses took Jethro’s advice as we explore Stepping Stones 11-15 on our journey to turn failure into success.

Overcoming Obstacles to Success

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Turning Failure Into Success – Steps 1-5

Obstacles and failures, if applied correctly, can actually become our stepping stones for a successful life trek. Obstacles and failures in life are always more significant when they are our failures. From my perspective, all of my failures are major failures. This reminds me of the saying, “Minor surgery is when it performed on someone else; major surgery is when it is performed on me.” The same concept also applies to obstacles and failures.

This week we will look at the first five lessons we can learn by turning those failures or obstacles into stepping stones.

Always look for the positive side of the obstacle or failure. It’s easy to blame someone or something else (or even fate) for the events in our lives, but it takes courage to be able to see the bright side of a failure and move on. So be brave, be persistent, and be dedicated. Be committed, confident, and passionate; remember you have only one life to choose from. It takes time and focus to overcome fear and gain a positive mindset. The first lesson is to consciously maintain a positive attitude. If you do this, no matter what you encounter, you’ll be able to see the lessons of the experience and continue to push forward.

Stepping Stone #1 – Take courage and be positive.

Failure is a time for celebration. Failing is never fun, but if you celebrate the fact that you have gained knowledge, wisdom, and discernment then the failure has served a useful purpose. The trail to success is littered with the failures of those individuals who chose to celebrate the opportunity that each failure provided. The most significant breakthroughs in all areas of life were built on the backs of failure. Whether it was Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, or a host of others, their celebration of failure, spurred them onto success. Ralph Heath states, “One of the biggest secrets to success is operating inside your strength zone but outside of your comfort zone.”

Stepping Stone #2 – Celebrate the wisdom gained.

Failure teaches us to calculate the risks we take. When we fail, we can analyze the risk that we had to take and readjust the process. Risk may not be eliminated, but we will better know what risk not to take and be better prepared. The risks you take should be calculated; you shouldn’t fly blindly into the night and simply hope for the best. Achieving the next milestone on your trek requires calculated risk along with preparation, practice, and some awareness of your skills and talents. “To reach any worthy milestone, you must take risks.”

Stepping Stone #3 – Take calculated risks.

Failure will draw out negative opinions from others. Be prepared to hear from individuals that will gladly share their negative opinions and doubts about your plans and may try to persuade you to give up before you achieve success. Do not listen to this type of advice, but seek out only those individuals who are wise, experienced, and able to provide honest and productive advice – even if you don’t agree what they have to say. Some of those individuals may not see the potential until you succeed. When you do succeed, they will no longer see the barriers, they will want to know how you did it. Pauline Estrem once said, “To achieve the greatest success, you have to embrace the prospect of failure.”

Stepping Stone #4 – Accept only wise advice.

People who fail often grow as leaders. We are all leaders in some aspect or realm of life. To become a natural leader you can’t be afraid to do, then re-do, and re-do again if necessary. You do not wait for the trail to be smooth and free of obstacles. You are looking forward, up the trail, and are willing to take calculated risks. You embrace the journey of a life that would make life better for yourself and others. You are perfectly willing to slip and stumble at times in order to advance. You take responsibility for your failures and learn from it. You have a passion for what you do and improve upon your failures and persist until you make a success of it. Thomas Edison put it well when he said, “The sweetest victory is the one that’s most difficult.” The one that requires you to reach down deep inside, to struggle with every step you take, to be willing to traverse the most precarious trails without knowing what the path may be like once you reach the next mountain top.

Stepping Stone #5 –Growth comes during times of difficulty.

As we consider how failure can lead us to success this week, I will relate a story from one of the most successful leaders ever who also failed many times, but learned wisdom and great success.

Let’s look at the story of Moses and his father-in-law Jethro. This story can be found in Exodus 18. Let’s explore verses 13-18, “The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, ‘What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?’

Moses replied, ‘Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.’

‘This is not good!’ Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. ‘You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.'”

In other words, Jethro was letting Moses know, that in this situation, he was failing at his tasks, but by learning from his advice, he could achieve success. We will continue this story in next week’s Wisdom Notes to see what advice Jethro gave to his son-in-law Moses, as we look at five more ways we can turn failure into success.

Next week we will explore Stepping Stones 6-10 on our journey to turn failure into success.

Redefining Expectations

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Life – Expectations vs. Reality

In our Wisdom-Trek note for today, we want to explore the difference between the expectations and realities of life. Using the analogy of a mountainous hiking trip, when you start out the trail is smooth and wide, you likely think, “Wow! This is going to be easy.” In the same manner, as we start into adulthood we know so much about life we feel that we have it all together, and our parents and older associates have missed the boat somehow.

We plan out our lives with dreams and ambitions, and we feel that the road to success will be typically smooth. Then we get busy living life, and the years just rush by. Before you know it, you are in your 50s and 60s and you wonder, “What just happened?”

If you have not reached that point in your life yet, realize that it will also happen to you and be prepared for life’s mountains and valleys and the trail’s twist and turns. No matter what age you are or what season of life you are in, it is never too late to remember to enjoy and celebrate life each day, regardless of how rough the path is. This is what makes life worthwhile.

Let’s look at what the wisest man who ever lived had to say about life. This was King Solomon, who was the king of all Israel from approximately 970 – 931 BC. Toward the latter years of his reign, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and saw life from this perspective. In Chapter 1:8-9 he wrote, “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

So we see that life is full of unexpected results, especially when our desire and pursuit is for more stuff.

Solomon also wrote in Chapter 2:24-26, “So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him.”

These are choices that we need to make early and often in life. Yes, work hard and succeed in whatever you are called to do, but take time to enjoy it.

Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. I am all for planning and dreaming, I always have many ideas and plans in my head, written down, and in some measure of completion. But, I also understand that the road to success is rarely smooth, and the trails of life are strewn with obstacles.

When we realize this and plan accordingly, then we can set up expectations accordingly. This is one way that we grow in wisdom. Learning the art of managing expectations for ourselves and others is a key element in success and happiness in life.

As we look back on the trails of life that we have traveled so far or if we look forward to the mountains and valleys that are in our future, we need to realize that this is the stuff that life is made of. We don’t need to give up during the difficult times because we are prepared for them, we expect them, and we should even desire them because growth happens when life does not go according to plan.

Christine Haussler said it well, “You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations when it’s the unexpected that truly changes our lives.”

Regardless of how difficult the realities of life are, especially in light of our expectations, we would do well to follow the exhortation of the letter that was written to Hebrew Christians that were struggling with the realities of life during the 1st century AD. In chapter 12:1-2, we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

As this scripture points out, let us encourage and assist each other to deal with and embrace the realities of life. In doing so, we will grow in wisdom and create a living legacy.

Wisdom for Life

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The Echoes of Life

Today in my  note to you, I would like you to visualize yourself on a narrow path with a wall of stone on our right side and a steep cliff on our left. Across the vast valley is another ridge of mountains. As with life on many days, your path is steep and is strewn with rocks and obstacles of all sizes. It certainly makes the trek of life on those days slow and difficult.

If you were to shout out on this trail, you would soon hear your voice echoing back to you the exact message that you shouted. If you express fear, then fear would come shouting back. If you express confidence then confidence would come shouting back to you.

Such as it is with our trek of life. What we project, comes booming back to us as an echo. This is very similar to the principles of planting and harvesting, which I have discussed in many of the podcasts. You will harvest what you plant but much more than you plant.

It is so important that we are always aware that what we say and do does have a significant impact on the lives of others, and as it is returned to us like an echo and will impact us as well.

Zig Ziglar said it this way, “Life is an echo. What you send out comes back. What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get. What you see in others, exists in you.”

What we say can give nourishment and strength as Proverbs 16:24 explains that, “Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

Our words can also:

Be a source of wisdom, “Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook,” Proverbs 18:4.
Satisfy like a good meal, “Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction,” Proverbs 18:20.
Are more valuable than any riches, “Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies,” Proverbs 20:15.

As we consider the words that we speak to others and even to ourselves, let us reflect on what Mother Teresa said. “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

Our actions can also echo back to us. How we treat others, will ultimately be how we are treated. At times we may be able to mask our words. We may have even mastered how we speak to others, but…“Your words may hide your thoughts, but your actions will reveal them.”

We should always encourage and strengthen everyone that we impact, even in the smallest manner. If you desire to gain wisdom and create a living legacy, then you must inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. These essential leadership skills will become evident since what you inspire in others will come echoing back into your life.

One area that Paula and I have observed in the lives of others is when someone is critical or judgmental of people they usually are critical and judging themselves in the same way. We have concluded that when we judge another person, we do not define them rather we define ourselves.

Think about this in your own life. Are the areas of life in which you are most critical and judgmental toward others the same areas where you have struggles? Are your actions echoing back to you?

I think that Christ put it very succinctly when he spoke about the echo principle when judging others in the book of Matthew 6:37-38, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Talk about a formula for a happy, peaceful, and abundant life. I think this passage pretty much is the secret to success.

Unlike the echo from the mountains at the beginning of this note today, we do not always see an immediate return in what we do. And, that is okay. Otherwise, you are giving to others out of a selfish and impure motive.

The effects of kindness are not always seen immediately. Sometimes it takes years until your kindness will pay off and is returned to you. And sometimes you never see the fruits of your labors, but they are there, deep inside of the soul of the one you touched. That should be sufficient reward for what we do.

Send out goodness, mercy, kindness, and love each day, and you will receive an abundant echo of the same in return. But, the opposite is also true.

While I try to be very careful not to generalize situations or individuals, we also need to be honest with ourselves. Consider this:

If you are critical of others.
If you have a hard time forgiving others.
If you find others unkind to you.
If you move from one crisis to another in life.

If any of these statements are true, ask yourself: What am I sending out into the world today? More specifically, what am I sending into the lives of others?

Our problems may not be the fault of others. It may be that we need to change what we are sending out, so that the echoes that come back are encouraging, kind, full of wisdom, and helping us to create a living legacy each day.