Mikes Blog

Failure and persistence
+++++++++++++++++++

Don’t let any failure make you into a failure. Use it as another step to success.

You attempted something and it didn’t work. Rather than holding you back from another attempt, let that experience prepare you for your next attempt.

You tried fifteen times and nothing worked. Do you have what it takes for number sixteen and beyond?

To be strong enough to achieve, you must be persistent enough to pick yourself up after each disappointment, including this one. Otherwise, that valuable experience you just gained will be lost.

The only things that can ever have value to you are the things you’ve invested yourself in. Each setback is an opportunity to invest more, and to enlarge the size of your eventual reward.

Throughout history, success has been built with a combination of failure and persistence. Continue that legacy, and build some great new success of your own.

— Ralph Marston

Learn all you can
+++++++++++++++++++

Learn from people and projects that succeed. Learn from things that fail.

Learn from those who share your opinion. Learn from those who disagree with you.

Learn from the various activities you engage in, and from the different ways you feel afterwards. Learn from whatever causes disappointment, and from all that gives you joy.

When you don’t understand, have the courage to ask. When you do understand, have the humility to know there’s much more to learn.

Learn from the wisdom and experience of those who came before you. Learn from the playful dreams of those who are just beginning life’s journey.

Learn, learn, learn all you can. And do your very best with all you know.

— Ralph Marston

Treasure of human experience
+++++++++++++++++++

Criticism of others will not gain you their willing cooperation. Genuine respect will.

Forcing your viewpoint on someone else will not result in that person agreeing with you. Seek instead to listen, to understand, to act with care and kindness, to earn and to deserve that person’s understanding.

Every individual you encounter has a unique perspective that’s different than your own. At the same time, every person also has many things in common with you.

Effective, enduring connection happens when you do the work to reach from where you are to where the other person is. That work consists of honesty, humility, respect and precision in your words, and generosity in your spirit.

Every day, people from vastly different backgrounds, with widely varying perspectives, forge positive, fruitful connections with each other. That’s because despite their differences, they care enough, and are diligent enough, to find common ground and to build upon it.

Every person is unique, and that can be a powerfully good thing. Make the effort to connect with that goodness, to understand, to cooperate, and help the world benefit from the astounding treasure of human experience.

— Ralph Marston

Make your best even better
+++++++++++++++++++

It doesn’t matter how well or how poorly you are received. What matters is that you give your best.

Your ego may not like it when you are criticized, or worse, when no one even notices you. Yet there is a part of you that can find great value in every kind of feedback.

Rather than being upset or giddy about any response you get, raise your focus to a higher level. Be curious.

The surest way to learn is to do. That’s especially true when it comes to learning how others will respond to you.

Life at its highest level is about giving of your most authentic, original self. And that’s an exercise where continual practice leads to rapid improvement.

Give your best, and see what happens. Based on that, you’ll figure out how to continue making your best even better.

— Ralph Marston