[Success]

The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure - Sven Goran Eriksson

Success is an interesting thing, and I'm intruiged by what defines it. Similarly, what makes someone a failure? For example, if someone tries their very hardest but still does not succeed, does that make them a failure? Surely the fact that they did their best is what is important, and thus they should be classed as a success? But what if the best a person can do simply isn't good enough?

When we're growing up, we're always told, 'just do your best'. But what happens when something requires more than that? As a doctor, if you try your best but are still unable to save the patient, it isn't going to make the friends and family feel any better by simply saying 'well, I did my best'.

I also remember the saying, 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again'. That's all very well when you are five years old and got 6/10 in your spelling test. But in the real world you can't always try again. There is no rewind button, and there are no re-tests.

I can not think of many worse feelings in the world than failure. Knowing that at the very best you're silver. Second best. Settled for. You didn't quite make gold. Constant thoughts ticking around in your mind of how you could have done something more. Your failure could be someone elses life, and you've just thrown that away. Imagine having that on your conscience. It doesn't bear thinking about.

But what makes a person silver as opposed to gold? Is it because they have a slightly large nose, or a bit of a wonky smile? Perhaps they need to tone up a bit, or their hair isn't always perfect. They may not have straight A's, or be particularly outstanding, but that shouldn't make them worthless. They shouldn't be a failure. Failure is a lack of success, and that should not be measured by the beauty of a persons eyes. Every person on the planet has some merits, whatever they may be, and it is these which make them successful.

In conclusion to this entry, I'd like to wish each and every one of you the greatest success in every one of your endeavours...