Success isn't permanent —?but neither is failure

We all have successes and losses. And that’s my point. Winning without realizing that you could have lost, or will at some point lose, can have devastating effects. There are thousands of clichés that illustrate this, such as “The bigger they come, the harder they fall," “Getting knocked off the top of the mountain," “What goes around comes around,” and “Be careful what you wish for." But if you know winning or success isn’t a permanent certainty, not only will that break your fall when success ends (or is unobtainable), it also makes the success more pleasurable, doesn’t it?

But perhaps much more importantly, when you fail, realizing that, too, is not permanent, can have a tremendous impact. Knowing that neither success nor failure is permanent can sustain us. Especially if we keep trying and never give up. Think of those who have failed publicly and then succeeded. Think of Mike Tyson. What a fall from grace (jailed for rape) and return to the top (roles in movies like "The Hangover" and doing stand up comedy). Or Michael Vick. Jailed for his treatment of dogs but then a return to the NFL as a starting quarterback. Michael Jackson too. Or how about Martha Stewart? And we all know people in our lives who have been at the top and the bottom. Remember them as inspiration, not just when you fail, but when you succeed as well. Success is fleeting, but failure can be too. Especially for those who persevere.