How Your Mindset Defeats Failure

I believe there are only two ways to fail. The first occurs when you refuse to try something due to fear of failure. You could call this "failing first." This self-defeating pattern is a dream-stealer. Do not tolerate it in your mind. The second occurs when you quit pursuing a goal after the first or second attempt. All the accomplishments in this world are built on the back of attempts that did not succeed.

 Defeat is never permanent unless you say it is. A look back through time reveals rich examples of men and women who triumphed over numerous defeats and challenges to actualize their visions. These people were not defeated because they refused to give up before the achievement of the dreams. They became unstoppable, and their visions inevitable, because they simply did not quit before they crossed the finish line.

 A winning mindset is born from a choice that an initial defeat is not the end of your dreams, but a place to plant your stake in the ground. You may think this mindset is nothing more than hope. You may feel that hope has no place in our current world of chaos and disruption. However, inspiring life histories of men and women who overcame numerous defeats and turned them into historical victories may help you change your mindset, and choose to embrace a persistence that will lead you to great success.

 Abraham Lincoln is a timeless testament to the power of hope and unbending faith. Born to poor parents in a log cabin in the Kentucky woods, he outmaneuvered impossible odds to become not only a great man but also a lasting motivator to those that encounter defeats.

 Though he had less than 3 months of formal schooling, he became a great lawyer. By educating himself, he passed the bar exam. He was defeated in a bid for the state legislature in 1832. His business failed in 1833. His beloved died in 1835. He had a nervous breakdown in 1836. He was elected to the Illinois State Legislature in 1836 but was defeated in his bid for Speaker of the House in both 1836, and 1838. He was defeated for the nomination to Congress in 1843 but was elected when he ran again in 1846. He ran for Land Officer in 1849 but was defeated. He was defeated for the U. S. Senate in 1854. He was defeated in the nomination for Vice President in 1856. He was defeated again for the Senate in 1858. Then in 1860 he was finally elected the sixteenth President of the United States. Where would this country be today if defeat had defeated him?

 If the story of Abraham Lincoln’s persistence is not motivating to you, then consider the track record of Thomas Edison. He was dismissed by his teachers as uneducable, consequently dropping out of school while in elementary school. However, he did not lose faith in himself when everyone else did. He knew that he was destined to be a great inventor. By the end of his career he had obtained 2,332 patents.

About the invention of the incandescent light bulb Edison has been quoted as saying: “Before I got through, I tested no fewer than 6,000 vegetable growths, and ransacked the world for the most suitable filament material."

"The electric light has caused me the greatest amount of study and has required the most elaborate experiments, I was never myself discouraged or inclined to be hopeless of success. I cannot say the same for all my associates. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

He surprised many when he said that to succeed he first had to try all the ways that did not work until only ways that could work were left.

These two gentlemen, and countless others, have demonstrated to us the power of persistence. Failure only occurs when we fail to try or give up before we reach our goals. Allow the passion of your vision to fuel your determination to continue and forget about the notion of failure. This is the unstoppable mindset that leads to the accomplishment of your dreams.

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Are you seeing your dreams realized in your business? Are you breezing pasts challenges and roadblocks? Is your business earning according to its full potential? If not, no matter what the circumstances, there is always a money block that needs your attention. Click here to diagnose the money blocks that are limiting your income with Kristin's free 5 Day email workshop. Kristin van Tilburg is a master Mindset Strategist who helps business people re-program their mindset to activate their full potential.