When Apparent Failure is Success Disguised

by Lester Rennard

The dawn of success can be very deceptive and those who do not have the discernment to recognize it when it comes disguised as failure, are bound to surrender to defeat when they should instead be singing their victory song. As true as the maxim that states that the darkest hour of the day is just before dawn is the reality that success often comes to those in pursuit of it clothed in the unattractive garments of what appears to be failure.

It often appears that many of those who have had tremendous success in certain ventures have first experienced many unparalleled failures and setbacks. This observation has left me to wonder whether failure and setbacks are meant to be nature's clinical laboratory for processing, preparing and refining those on whom it intends to bestow the weighty responsibility of success. Since success is a greater burden to carry, if one is to survive it without becoming corrupted and entrapped in self-indulgence or egocentricity, such a person would need to experience a kind of transformation that only the humbling effect of failure and setbacks can offer.

The trying effect of failure does not only reinforce the need for humility but it also demonstrates the futility and foolhardiness of trusting in that which is materialistic. It shows the importance and necessity of trusting in a greater power outside of one's self rather than in the transitory nature of success. One's capacity to successfully endure success is conditioned upon the lessons learned in the school of adversity. Such adversity provides a purging and a spiritual emancipation from that which is material to a focus on that which is more real and enduring.

Abraham Lincoln experienced many political setbacks and apparent failures before finally becoming one of America's best loved presidents of all times. The biblical story of Joseph in Egypt and his trials, adversities and eventual rise from prisoner to prime minister is a classic illustration of failure that precedes success. Nelson Mandela of South Africa is another case of one who rose from the humiliating experience of being a prisoner to occupying the highest position of political power in his country.

Another person who comes to mind who faced many setbacks and eventual success by sheer perseverance is Jack Canfield of the Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. Before his series became a world-wide bestseller, he was constantly turned down going from one publisher to another who apparently could not see the vision of success that his publications eventually became. These are a few of numerous cases of individuals who have faced setbacks, adversities and failures before success finally showed up.

On the other hand are the stories of people who have failed miserably because they have chosen to give up just when they were on the brink of experiencing their long sought success. One such story is that of a prospector who invested heavily in mining equipment during the gold rush era. He spent money, time and energy mining for gold but all his efforts constantly ended in vain. He finally became discouraged, gave up his dream, sold his equipment to a junk dealer and retreated in defeat.

The junk dealer wishing to check for gold hired an engineer to test the minefield that his predecessor had just abandoned and to his delight, discovered gold just feet below the last area of drilling from which he gave up and retreated. The junk dealer inherited the wealth of success that was just on the other side of apparent failure awaiting discovery because the one who blazed the trail failed to discern success by confusing it with failure.

The lesson to be learned about success is that it does not often come dressed in refined garb. It requires patience, perseverance and the tenacity to stay the course of your dream until the red light of failure changes to green. It is to embrace the courage that Winston Churchill describes as "going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm"; and to accept as someone else who observed that "success is failure turned inside out."

When it appears that you are at the most humiliating and lowest moments of your life, staring failure squarely in the face, it might just be the time when success is about to yield to your constant knocking at its door by turning the other side of failure to reveal itself in all its grandeur.