Friday, July 4, 1997

The freedom to fail

Today in the United States we celebrate our independence and freedom. In the days when this nation was born, freedom and independence were rare. Now, thankfully, much more of the world lives free.

Freedom is not easy, because with freedom comes responsibility. It is impossible to have one without the other. For, what is freedom, if not the ability to be responsible for our own lives?

To be truly free, we must also be free to fail. There can be no success, without the possibility of failure. Indeed, if there were no such thing as failure, how would you even define success?

It is that possibility of failure that imposes the needed discipline, guides our decisions, entreats us to act responsibly, and ultimately leads to success and achievement.

The possibility of a life without risk or failure, is enticing. Yet, when you think about it, what meaning would there be in such a life? Risk and failure, just because they’re there, enable us to achieve great things.

— Ralph Marston

Meet the challenges Rise above it next

Copyright ©1997 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.