Being Anti-Fragile
“The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”
― Robert Jordan, The Fires of Heaven
Every obstacle in our life is an opportunity to grow stronger. Every failure adds up to the list of precious lessons. Every lesson learned adds up to our value.
Upscaling the value of anything is never a smooth process. Coal goes through immense pressure and temperature before it turns into a diamond. Raw gold is melted at hundreds of Celsius and then hammered into the desired shape. To get the final product, it is still polished thoroughly. In short, it goes through tough procedures before it can become a high-quality gold.
Luckily, humans don’t have to be a certain type of metal in order to be eligible for being precious. Everyone is eligible for success. We all are made of the same material and all we need to do is put in the effort in right direction and stay consistent.
Fail Forward!
Failing is an indicator of effort. The effort is a precursor of success. Every time you are defeated, you know a new way of not doing things. This might not feel important to you but it is of great value as it helps you master the art of growth and success.
Someone who succeeds at the first attempt is not even closely as smart as the one who fails a hundred times. The one who fails is familiar with everything in the domain. The walkthroughs, the do’s, the don’ts, and much more.
Thomas Edison is a name that we all are familiar with. His famous invention of light bulb changed lives and ways of living. However, there were one thousand failed attempts at making a bulb that was practical and stable. Edison knew he was trying something good, he believed in himself and kept going. The failures never seem to bother him enough that he gave it all up.
Get a Mentor
Edison is praised for trying a thousand times. But do we really need to try thousands of times before we proceed? Is there a way to limit the time and energy wasted on one checkpoint? Yes, there is!
Finding a mentor will make your life easier, your goals achievable, and your failures lessened. Mentors are specialists in specific domains who have dedicated a lifetime to something. They know what you will find on every corner of a particular road. Mentors arm you with knowledge, tools, and things that you need to increase your pace and chances of success.
The Leap of Faith
Life is all about making the right decisions at the right times. Mentorship will help you realize the importance of every decision you make. Your confidence in yourself and the desire to learn and grow will be the basis of your decisions. Go ahead, take that jump, and do not be afraid of breaking.
Even if you are broken into hundreds of pieces, raise yourself, join all the pieces to make a better version of yourself, and keep moving!
