Almost everyone in the world has heard of Michael Jordan. In my opinion he is the greatest basketball player ever, and not many will argue that. Did you know that he was cut from his high school basketball team when he was in 10th grade because he wasn’t good enough? In hindsight that seems unfathomable. I have been to more than 50 Bulls basketball games, most of which when he was playing. Along with my parents, my brother and I would be on the edge of our seats waiting for the next amazing play because it was never too far off. That being said it’s hard to believe that growing up he wasn’t always the superstar I had seen on so many occasions. I realize that we typically grow to become better at what we are doing as we get older. Imagine if Michael Jordan had quit after being cut that first time chances are we wouldn’t even know who he is.
Jordan once said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” He knew from first-hand experience that it was better to try and fail than not try at all. Without a doubt the pain and hurt he experienced when he was cut from his high school basketball team was the very fuel he needed to work harder and try out for the team again his junior year. He was not a quitter. He realized that in order to get to the “thrill of victory”; he first had to go through “the agony of defeat.”
I don’t welcome failure. I don’t enjoy failure. However, the greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure. Without trying to do new and better things we are destined to miss that shot. Whether that is in life or business. If we are willing to take a risk even if the end result is somewhat of a failure, we can still look at the situation as a learning experience that will help us grow. Then we can honestly say that we are better off for having tried rather than sitting back and not being willing to take the risk. I know personally it’s the chances that I have taken that have caused me the greatest amount of growth.
I encourage you not to feel bad for the mistakes you have made in your life. Just ask yourself what you have learned from them and let them make you a better person. It is not when you try and fail that is the concern, but when you stop trying. In the movie Rounders (It’s a poker movie for those of you that haven’t seen it.), Matt Damon’s character said “You can’t lose what you don’t put in the middle…but you can’t when much either.” Getting involved in life is risky business, but it is worth the risk!
