When pairing success and failure, I notice something. Failure brings on success, and also, one person’s success may be viewed as failure to another. People are different and that’s good, it would be very boring if everyone was alike. First, a short definition of success: if you achieve what you want to and are happy. Another one: being happy with what you have is the best achievement. And finally: one in which an individual believes that they have maximized their potential and environmental influences or have been able to overcome negativity. I relate to the last one because environmental influences are important to overcome. A person cannot pick their family, wealth or country we are born into. These factors play a big role in how one might view life or what values and beliefs they have or even how a person might feel about themselves and the world around them. I underlined the word happy, because to me it’s kind of superficial. A definition of happy: a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Another one: being happy with having everything and not having anything at all. And finally: having material things or friends, using substances to distract from real problems.
The first definition of failure is a lack of success. Another is the inability to meet expectations. The problem that I have had with failure is that I have tied it into my self worth, self esteem and self acceptance, but I have learned that if a person doesn’t give up and uses failure as a life lesson, it is the greatest teacher. If a person doesn’t give up, it can build character. I have learned through counsel that a person must humble themselves because some emotions aren’t good for healing like pride, bad ego or worse, and my personal negative emotions being self- centered. It’s all about me.
The first half was the carnal way I have studied success vs. failure. I want to move to the word of God. The first big failure to me was Adam and Eve and the fallen state. The second was the newly freed Hebrews wandering the desert for forty years. Next was Samuel choosing Saul to be King or Saul just being the wrong person to be King, and finally Judas and his thirty pieces of silver. But on the same lines of the carnal way of failure and success it goes hand in hand. With most of the Biblical family who failed and then was successful, the only difference they put their trust in God. The point I want to emphasize the most about success and failure in the Bible is that both are obtained through wisdom, understanding it or not, and being wise enough to follow the word of God. Ecclesiastes 10:10 states, “If one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success.” King Solomon asked God for wisdom. God granted it to him. It’s only fitting to read from the Wisdom of Solomon 8:4-7, “For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God, and a lover of his work. If riches be a possession to be desired in this life; what is richer than wisdom that worketh all things. And if prudence work: who of all that are is a more cunning workman than she. And if a man love rightness her labors are virtues: for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude: which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life.” In conclusion, this article is my opinion. Like I said before, writing is therapy for me.
When using a substance, not giving up can be very frustrating because your thought process is not focused on processing your real troubles. You’re not living in reality. Reality is defined as the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notion of idealism. The most important part of failure, being a failure, living a life of failure is to never give up. I know this from experience, that’s why counseling and treatment is so important because the more clean time you have the more a person gains. At the same time there’s more to lose. I’m not 100% cured from my addiction, but even writing this article, it helps because I have to be proactive through my observation, and to write or put words into action is therapy. I have learned that I have done things I’m not proud of, which brings shame and other negative emotions that are no good for the human spirit. I can observe those emotions and put them in perspective. I can’t do that under the influence. The definition of self esteem: how we value and perceive ourselves. The definition of self acceptance: an individual acceptance of all of their attributes, positive and negative. Self worth: the internal sense of being good enough and worthy of love and belonging from others. In my opinion, when involving others into your evaluation of yourself, maybe it’s not a good idea to put others and their opinion of you into your search for peace because they could be in a darker place than you. A professional would be the best bet. I was told once, you can’t change your life, unless you have a change of heart and mind.