failure is the first step to success

‘Failure is the first step to success’ Thomas Edison, Walt Disney and Nelson Mandela share a common characteristic that distinguishes them from the rest of us. All three of them experienced the bitterness of failure prior to their great success in various fields. The same goes to every success story from ancient times until this very day. The science behind their amazing feat in transforming failure to success is catalysed by several factors. Therefore, I strongly agree that failure is the first step to success. We can never deny that failure serves as a potent incentive to help us achieve our goals in life. Rather than marinating in misery at the first sign of failure, we should constantly remind ourselves that failure is not a setback to achieve one’s goals. On the contrary, failure forces us to analyse the purpose of our ambitions and identify any obstacles that many come in our way. Most businessmen have their own humble beginning as failures in making money. However, successful businessmen are undaunted by financial meltdowns and strive hard to accomplish a measure of success. Even country singer Miley Cyrus admits that we face a wide array of setbacks in life. In her own words, she commented, “There is going to be another mountain, I will always want to make it move.” Come to think of it, failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, each time more intelligently. If we view this subject from a different perspective, failure is the key towards learning from our mistakes. It may seem excruciating, but no one serves as a better teacher in life than failure. Through failure, we will be taught to plan fool-proof strategies to avoid future failures and build bridges towards success. In this process, we will be inevitably transformed into practical and pragmatic individuals who are capable of making wise decisions in life. The epitome of this belief is none other than the founder of Public Bank Bhd himself – Teh Hong Piow. After numerous failures, he sought different financial planning and this simple act saved him from many other pitfalls. Hence, failing is just like falling in the journey towards success in life, but capitalising and learning through failure enables us to fall forward instead. Lastly, failure can be defined as a sign for us to strive harder to fulfil our ambitions. Failure builds our character and moulds us into resilient beings. It tests our persistence and measures our progress in work. This statement can be illustrated through a natural phenomenon – the formation diamonds. The hardest material on Earth is formed under a mountain of pressure. The same principle goes with us, Homo sapiens as well. We can only let our true colours shine after overcoming a mountain of failure. American Idol winner once enlightened the world with her wise words, “what does not kill you make you stronger”. Indeed, the truth in her words can be demonstrated through Thomas Edison, who flopped again and again before finding the right filament for his bulb. Through the steady accretion of persistence and knowledge gained through his failures, he finally succeeded in inventing a revolutionary product – the light bulb. Failure is a character building process that will equip us with perseverance, hard work and a stronger will to succeed in life. In conclusion, failure is a blessing, not a curse. It is both a motivator and a teacher; a mind-opener and most importantly, it is an opportunity for us to achieve great heights in life. One must not underestimate failure’s pivotal role as the first step to success.
1. Distinguishes: differentiates
2. Potent: powerful
3. Marinating: soaking
4. Undaunted: undisturbed
5. Excruciating: painful
6. Pragmatic: rational
7. Capitalising: exploiting
8. Resilient: strong
9. Enlightened: educated
10. Accretion: accumulation
11. Pivotal: important