Did We Fail?

By Catherine Pulsifer

With excitement and enthusiasm we started our small business. No longer did we have the security of a weekly paycheck. We now were on our own to generate an income to provide us with the money to live. I was a little anxious about our ability to do this. But, Byron believed in our products, and more so, believed in our ability to succeed.

So, we worked and produced a number of products to sell. We invested heavily in a market that provides local crafts for cruise ships coming into our area. The first ships arrived, and we barely made enough money to pay our expenses. We now had our money invested in the booth that we had rented for the summer and fall months. We had a lot of money tied up in materials. But, we did not have enough money to cover our monthly bills. We were discouraged, and the thoughts of failure ran through our heads.

As we discussed our options, I happened to read the quote by Mary Pickford:
"If you have made mistakes...
there is always another chance for you...
you may have a fresh start any moment you choose,
for this thing we call 'Failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down."

This quote reinforced my determination and Byron's belief that we could succeed. We did fall down, but we were determined not to stay down! So, we stepped back and refocused. We came up with new products using existing materials. We redesigned our booth set up. We reviewed our pricing structure. And, we started making enough money to pay our bills.

My point in sharing our story is that if we had done nothing, if we allowed ourselves to "stay down", then we would have failed. But, we made the choice to learn from our mistakes, and we moved forward with more determination. Mary Pickford's quote offers a much better perspective on failure - a chance for a fresh start! The most important point here is "choice" because you decide how you view your failure, you decide if you stay down.

There are many stories of people who chose not to stay down:
- The Beatles' first audition - the recording company rejected them.
- Lucille Ball, the actress, was told to try another profession.
- Authors who have received numerous rejection slips, but they kept going until they were published.

Remember, how you view "failure" is entirely up to you.