Rethinking failure: 9 famous quotes about failure to keep you going as a startup founder
Especially if you are a founder in Africa
Building a startup or any business is riddled with more failures than successes. Learning to deal with failures ensures you do not quit before seeing the fruits of your hard work.
Here are some wise words from giants who succeeded despite their failures.
1. “Greatest successes come from having the freedom to fail.” – Mark Zuckerberg
For many founders, failure can feel like the end of the world. That is especially so in Africa, where the stakes are so high that if you fail, you might not eat (literally).
However, in those high stakes, never forget that all the successful individuals you see today failed at some point—including Mark Zuckerberg.
Learn to give yourself the freedom to fail.
2. “Failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of success.” – Ariana Huffington
Ariana Huffington is the founder of Thrive Global and co-founder of the Huffington Post. Thirty-six publishers rejected her second book. Today, she is a Pulitzer Prize winner and the author of fifteen books.
Failure is a stepping stone, not the final step.
3. “Your attitude towards failure determines your altitude after failure.” – John C. Maxwell
Huh🤔
According to John Maxwell, it’s all about perception. If you take your failure positively and learn from it, there is no limit to how high you can reach once you get past the disappointment.
If you’ve failed before, you know it’s easier said than done. Amid failure, it is almost impossible to find anything positive. But maybe that is by design because the grit it takes to perceive failure positively is the same grit needed to propel you to success.
4. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
You have probably heard this before, but that does not lessen its impact.
How many times have you failed? If it is not 10,000, you have no permission to give up.
5. “It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J. K. Rowling
#Periodt.
6. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
Coming from a man who failed and reinvented himself more times than you can count, there must be an element of truth to his words.
Napoleon failed so horribly at some point that he dropped his first name Oliver and moved to a new state in search of a fresh start.
7. “Never let success get to your head; never let failure get to your heart.” – Anonymous
Letting failure get to your heart and squeeze out any desire to try again is the thing that destroys most people.
Admittedly, it is not easy to separate failure from your feelings or heart, but it is necessary if you want to find success.
8. “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
History tells us of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. In 1889, Ethiopia and Italy entered a friendship treaty—the Treaty of Wichale. To the Italians, it meant occupying Ethiopia. The Italians succeeded in capturing and occupying the northern Ethiopian city of Adigrat.
At a time when so many European powers had succeeded in obtaining colonies in Africa, it would have been easy for Emperor Menelik II to capitulate and hand Ethiopia over.
Instead, he bided his time, imported weapons, and after one year, he attacked and defeated the Italians in the famous battle of Adwa.
A single defeat is just that, a single defeat. History, as well as Emperor Menelik II, is proof of that.
9. “Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett
Yes, I have tried. Yes, I failed. Yes, I tried again—uhm…after six months. Yes, I failed again. But I am still going.
What about you?
Last word
In my x-plus years, I have learned that failure is not a tragedy. Allowing yourself to quit or be paralyzed by failure is the tragedy.
May these quotes from people who failed and rose above it inspire you to keep going when the going gets tough.
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