Success and Failure

In chapter 14, I found the topic of success and failure to be helpful and kind of inspirational in a way. This section of the chapter alluded to an unnamed sage observer who said that "the person who makes no mistakes usually makes nothing." I've definitely learned this lesson over the past few months. For a long time, I put off getting a job and trying a lot of other things outside my comfort zone because I was afraid of failing or making a mistake once I started. But, like the unnamed observer said, I remained stagnant and didn't achieve anything because I wasn't trying or putting myself in a position to learn from my mistakes. This section of the book goes on to mention another observer who "concluded that failure is a success if we learn from it. Recognizing failure is one of the surest route to success, if we examine why we failed." Now that I've been trying new things, like coaching, I find myself analyzing my own performance after every game and practice and trying to figure out what went well, what didn't go well, and what I can do to improve in the future. And when I do make a mistake, I listen to the more experienced coaches when they try to help me along or make suggestions. According to the book, this ability to receive feedback creates an opportunity for me to develop. If I weren't receptive to this advice or if I didn't recognize my own shortcomings, I probably wouldn't show any growth.