THE EDSEL WAS AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS!

For those of you who are old enough to remember, you might recall that the Edsel automobile, when produced by the Ford Motor Company, was, in the view of the buying public, a dismal failure. Tens of millions of dollars were lost; it was the butt of numerous jokes and was soon in the graveyard of cars that did not make it.

The rest of the story, however, is quite different. You fail not when you're beaten, but when you quit. The Ford Motor Company - as you know - did not quit. As a matter of fact, out of the Edsel came incredible success. Some of the technology they learned and research which followed enabled them to produce the Mustang, which was, until that time, their all-time best-seller and most profitable motor car. From what they learned about the Mustang they were able to produce the Taurus and for several years the Taurus was the number one selling automobile in America. 

The key to all of this is that when we make a mistake - and all of us periodically do fail - we should make it a point to ask the question, "What can I learn to change this temporary failure into a resounding success?" That's the beginning point of doing great things. As a matter of fact, it has been said by many people, "The only way to the mountain top is through the valleys."  We never really reach our full potential until we've been tested and tried.

Traditionally, the team that takes the toughest route to the Super Bowl, challenging and beating the toughest teams, is the one that wins the Super Bowl.

Message: When adversity is staring you in the face and you fail in an endeavor, look at it as a learning experience. That's what Ford did. That's why the Edsel was ultimately such a success in the overall scope of things. Adjust your thinking to that approach and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP! 

Zig Ziglar is known as America’s Motivator. He authored 32 books and produced numerous training programs. He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily.