There is an old fashioned saying “Failure is not an option.” While this is true in war, in business, and life, failure is often turned in to success. Failure is a necessary component for growth, both personal and in our careers. For the many inspiring guests on Cars Yeah, who have shared their moments of great challenge and failure, you will hear that failure is an extremely important learning step in their growth and path to ultimate success.
If you dare not to fail, you are not trying hard enough.
Did you know that Dyson, the innovative and successful vacuum brand, experienced over 5,000 failed prototypes? Henry Ford was denied the right to build his first car by The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM). “The only real failure is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If we as humans decided failure was not an option, we wouldn’t get up off the floor and learn to walk. Nobody would try to get their driver’s license. New and innovative ideas and designs would never be created.
Failure is the other side of fear.
In a wonderful little book, Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson wrote, “What would you do if you were not afraid ?” A recurring theme in all the inspiring automotive enthusiasts I have interviewed is that they were afraid to fail but they didn’t let that stop them from trying. Fear will hold you back. In the book The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein says, “There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.” If you work in an environment where “failure is not an option”, I can guarantee you, that directive kills innovation, kills creativity, kills any attempt to try and be successful by being daring and different, and most importantly kills the spirit. Fear kills the opportunity to fail and more importantly the opportunity to succeed.
Dare to fail.
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” – John Green. So go out there and dare to fail. Because if you don’t, you will never know what you are capable of accomplishing. What have you failed at? More importantly, what did it teach you and how did you overcome that failure to be successful?
Oh! The photograph in this blog of that spectacular steering wheel and dashboard. It’s a Deusey.
I need to revisit this post daily. Thanks!