It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final.

It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. – Roger Babson

The Cub Fan mantra: "Wait until next year!"

What does that mean?
To me, this is a core belief. I believe neither is final. If you try to do something and fail, you can always make an adjustment and try again, and again and again. Eventually, you will find a combination that works. Just ask Thomas Edison.

If you succeed, that’s not the end of it. If you succeed in wooing the girl of your dreams, what then? Yes, you succeeded, but now begins the next chapter. How do you move forward? As always, through a mixture of failures and successes.

In business, no failure is ever final, even bankruptcy can be a new beginning, another change. Similarly, no success is ever final, as new competitors will arrive and challenge you, or try to steal your customers.

The only time I can think of failure as being final is if the failure involves you dying. Fatality is (so far as I know) pretty final, at least for that individual. But for the friends and family, life continues on.

Why is attitude important?  
Attitude is what keeps you going. I don’t mean attitude, as in “stay away from him, he’s got an attitude” but the basic outlook on life kind of attitude. A proper attitude can help people keep a level head when things get crazy, and life gets crazy from time to time.

If your attitude is that everything is against you, how difficult will it be for you to stay energized or motivated? On the other hand, if you have an attitude that things are breaking your way and success (as you define it) is yours in every endeavor, how easy will it be for you to stay energized or motivated.

Hopefully the difference is clear, and you have probably have lived both, at some point in your life. Which do you prefer? Would you rather live thinking everything is against you, or that things are going your way? Neither success nor failure will last forever, but your attitude towards them can, if you decide that is how you will live.

Where can I apply this in my life?
To me, my attitude is one of my most precious attributes. I protect my attitude by surrounding it by what I consider empowering beliefs. Primarily, I don’t believe in failure by the common definition.

It may be true that this one attempt was not successful, but so long as I learn something from the attempt, I don’t consider it to be a failure. In the attempt, I have learned something that I can apply on my next attempt, bring me a little closer to success.

In this manner, success is what you define it to be. Similarly, failure is also no worse than you make it. If your attitude is that the failure is permanent, it just might become that way, even if it wasn’t initially that way.

As an example, if you have your heart set on a date with a special someone and it doesn’t work out, people tend to label the attempt as a failure. Some would go so far as to presume that one “No” means never ever ever (although, sometimes, it actually does). But there are other times to ask, and other fish in the sea. With a positive, success oriented attitude, you will eventually achieve success.

Quitting is the only way a failure can become permanent. But even then, the failure ceases as soon as you decide to get back in the game and try again. What kind of an attitude do you need to quit? Instead of quitting, I would recommend you try to adjust your attitude. Consider how else you could move forward, and what other approaches can you try.

It’s easy to have a pity-party and cry “woe is me.” Been there, done that, and probably will again. But don’t live there. Dry your eyes, get your attitude back in the right place, restate your resolve and formulate a new strategy. Then try again. Learn from the experience. Adjust your approach. Try again. Repeat until success is achieved.

To keep after something, you need a good, strong, positive attitude. You have to believe that what you are after is worth the effort. You need to believe you can achieve the goal. If you find these lacking, examine your goal. Are you biting of more than you can chew? Try breaking it into smaller steps. You wouldn’t walk up to someone and ask them to marry you, you ask for a date. Small steps, not huge ones.

Your attitude will directly impact your energy level and your motivation, so they all are tied together in achieving your goals. Keeping your attitude proper will be your task, as the others will happen practically automatically if you can keep your attitude.

How do you do that? By taking small, achievable steps. By keeping focused on the next step while remembering the over all goal. By remembering today’s quote. By examining each result, finding out why it didn’t give the result you wanted and adjusting your approach. By believing in yourself. By seeking assistance and advice when you’re having difficulties. By never giving up. And a million other ways. What would you add to the list?

Your attitude will set your altitude. If you can stay upbeat, things will eventually go up. If your attitude is down, well, you can guess where that ends up, right? Remember today’s quote, that nothing is ever final, no success will last forever, nor will failure last forever. Ask any Cubs fan (like me) and we’ll tell you. Just wait until next year!

From: Twitter, @TheQuoteToday
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rogerbabso136007.html
Photo by guano