thoughts...

"Our greatest strength is not in never failing, but in rising everytime we fall."

During a conversation the other day, the topic came to exams and the nervousness that these cause. I shared with this person the insight a former instructor shared with our class about perspective and how he wanted us to not only prepare for our exam but to do something that there is more to life than the outcome of one exam.

Life is not about not knowing how to fail. I do not think that we honestly and truthfully set out to intentionally fail. In those instances, perhaps we choose to fail out of fear or lack of desire. But, do we really want to be a failure? Of course not. At others, failure comes from circumstance -- illness, deaths... We cannot always choose our outcomes, and failure unfortunately, is sometimes one of them.

Thinking that success is only determined by lack of failure in one's life is immature and misguided. True success comes from triumph inspite of obstacles, inspite of failure not because the path lacked any. There is greater strength, lesson and maturity in getting back on the horse so to speak than going through life, perhaps an honours student, or average, getting all the promotions or simply seemingly sailing through and never facing adversity, real adversity.

Until we hit that wall, or perhaps "rock bottom", and learn to stand again, we cannot know the strength, courage and spirit that lies within us.

"Fall down seven times, stand up eight" - Japanese Proverb