To some it is not an option, others a way forward.
Jeremy Affeldt a Major League ball player with 3 championship rings to his name, puts a perspective here on embracing failure to succeed. Attributing a large part of success by learning how to fail on the big stage.
Adaptable mindset, lessons to learn. Excerpts:
And that’s the secret when it comes right down to it: To succeed, every serious athlete needs to understand that it’s not the highs and lows that define you; it’s how you respond your next time out.
“In retrospect, none of the success I have achieved in the game would have been possible if I hadn’t learned life’s most important lesson: How to fail.”
When I was younger, I thought I was going to be the best ballplayer in the world. It wasn’t so much that I was cocky — well, maybe just a little — I was simply a product of my environment, and the limited exposure I had to really talented opponents.
“In the end, no one likes to fail — and professional athletes are no different but the key is avoiding the ‘fear’ of failure. It makes no difference whether you are trying to “make it,” or you’ve already set out to do what you intended, and you are trying to live up to the expectations that come along with success. It’s like my dad used to tell me when I was growing up. “Just focus on the task at hand, and don’t worry about the outcome. Let someone else do the worrying, they’ll let you know if you’re not good enough.” He was right; they still haven’t.”
Go ahead, batter, I sometimes think to myself on the mound. I want you to hit the ball. You’re only making my life easier.
Rik Surace 