Abstract : The Definition of Success and Failure needs to be reconsidered. Success is an ongoing journey whereas Failure is not the end of the road. Successful people learn from failure and try even harder to achieve more in life. What we call as Failure should not be discouraging rather it should be a steppingstone for the success.

Success in never-ending

The above title of the book written by Robert H Schuller provides a very beautiful perspective to the efforts put in for any task.

We all strive for success only, no one wants to face failure. Let us ponder over how we define Success & Failure.

Success is often viewed as a destination, something that is reached when certain goals are accomplished or when a certain level of achievement is attained. However, success is much more than that. It is a continuous journey that requires hard work, dedication, and resilience. Success is a never-ending process because it is always possible to achieve more, to reach higher, and to accomplish greater things. Even when we achieve our goals, there is always something more to strive for, something new to learn, or a new challenge to tackle.

One of the keys to success is to view it as a process rather than a destination. This means focusing on the journey rather than just the end result. It means setting goals, taking the best steps toward achieving those goals, and most importantly celebrating every milestone along the way. By doing so, we create a sense of momentum that propels us forward and helps us to achieve even more.

While we put our best foot forward for attaining the desired goal , sometimes failures are encountered, but why to call it a failure when it is not the end, and we can try again?

Was there any partial achievement? If the answer is still ‘No’ then there must have been at least a learning experience for us. 

Even If there is no scope for trying again, there must still have been some outcome, some memory, or some experience because of the effort put in. 

Therefore, what we term failure is never fruitless. There exists some silver lining in every cloud. Failure is an essential part of the learning process. Failure doesn’t mean your idea wasn’t valid or that your dream isn’t good enough. Failure simply means there is something to be learned or another direction to be taken. Failure helps us to grow, learn from our mistakes, and to improve. Failure is not the end of the road because it provides us with valuable lessons that we can apply in the future. Failure is only final when we give up and stop trying. In the words of Winston Churchill – ‘Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm’. Success and Failure are not simple antonyms but sahre a complex relationship between them. The relationship between failure and success shows clear yin-yang properties of Taijitu symbol, suggesting that instead of being a duality, perhaps they should be viewed as two sides of a single unitary phenomenon, and that we would do well to keep both aspects in view and maintain a balanced perspective.  It is usually true that when success flourishes most strongly it contains the seeds of failure, and when we are at the deepest and darkest point of failure then a glimmer of success may be detected.

In Bhagwad Gita ShriKrishna Tells Arjun to work hard but at the same time not to be concerned much about the outcome, as one has the right to try hard only whereas outcome depends on lot many other parameters.

From the Sanskrit verse of Gita, we can conclude that one should keep trying to strive what one desires, but at the same time should not be stressed much about the outcome and there should always be a plan ‘B’ ready. 

3 Examples are worth mentioning:

1. In the year 1880 Thomas Alva Edison’s invention of a simple filament bulb was not easy , in the process he learnt about 1000 ways how a bulb is not made.
2. Abraham Lincoln’s story to become the president of the United States is the journey of  continuous failures both at personal and political front  but his one success was enough to make him achieve the coveted position and rest is the history.
3. Dashrath Manjhi, a man with miniscule resources had a dream to build a road from the hill and he made the dream a reality singlehandedly despite all odds .It took him quite some time but his perseverance provided the result.

From these examples, we learn that only those succeed who refuse to give up and keep trying. In the journey of success, we shall invariably encounter few failures, but those failures should not ruin our passion and zeal to march ahead.

Responding to failure:

After dealing with success and failure and understanding that both terms are not absolute, we find that ‘Resilience’ is the central strategy to deal with failure appropriately which needs to be present at individual, group, organisation and societal levels where failure is experienced. The three proposed specific ways to implement resilience can be helpfully alliterated as the Three Ms:

1. Mindset toward Failure
2. Minimisation of uncertainty
3. Maximizing value of Failure

Mindset: Our response to failure should be to expect and accept it. If and when we fail, that is entirely normal and acceptable. learning from failure coupled with realistic optimism is a useful element of the appropriate mindset toward Failure.

Minimization of Uncertainty: As they say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Planning is the key to minimize the occurrence of failure at first place and also to respond to it . The planning should be backed by adequate risk management. Risk can be defined as “uncertainty that matters”, and risk management offers a forward-looking radar, scanning the way ahead to identify any future uncertainties that might affect progress towards our objectives.

Maximizing value of Failure: When a Failure occurs, Lessons need to be identified, captured and recorded in a way that helps us to remember them in future, so that we can truly become learning individuals and organisations. We need to take the maximum value possible from every instance of failure, turning it into a genuine learning experience, and then we must make any necessary changes to avoid future similar failures.

Successful people understand the value of failure and they learn how to respond to failure. They recognize that failure is an opportunity to learn and to grow. They embrace failure as their own and use it to motivate themselves to try again, to work harder, and to achieve more. They understand that failures are not a reflection of their worth as a person, but rather a temporary setback that can be overcome with perseverance and determination.