The Sad Story of Mr Failure

A few days ago, I encountered what most of us do face regularly.

Another of a failure. Another disappointment. Another retake.

I gave up and sat down.

Mourning the dream I envisioned.

Justifying the failure.

Trying to blame others.

And console myself, not being responsible.

Came to sit beside me,

A stranger.

Long hairs, thick beard, wide eyes, dark clothes, and a humped back with a stick in his hand as he walked.

He told me his story,

A story of neglect and lack of appreciation.

A story of the conflict between surface and depth.

I have always been condemned and cursed. Anyone who has a dream who works for a change, who thrives for achievement, who struggles for growth, knows me as an adversary. No one wants to see me, no one wants me around, no one cheers for me, no one wants to accompany me.

We were born together but grew up differently. She has been appreciated, cheered, and celebrated. Success is my friend who never betrayed me, but it always had the eventual credit. Or actually, they give her the credit and leave me alone to cry and regret. As she stands on centre stage and sees me at the far end of the crowd, she cries inside too. Our destiny has left us this way. She can see the tears in my smile, yet she has to stay there for them. For the one who worked hard to achieve her. She cannot leave them alone for someone as hated and undesired as me.

When someone watches a dream and pursues it, we both start the journey with him. At every turn on the road, we help him through inspiration, motivation, and knowledge. It’s me who makes them drink the bitter ale of learning. They don’t like to learn, all they want is to reach the destination and see success.

I tell them, “Look, there is no point of being at the destination if you don’t have the knowledge and experience of the journey”. I convince them that the value of the destination lies in the journey. They understand sometimes but still don’t like my advice. I have to push them, hurt them and get into their way, again and again, so they take the lesson and grow to embrace success.

“Destination is only a moment, the journey is eternity"

While I create the hurdles on the road to the destination, success walks beside us. Calm and smiling. She looks at the two of us, and sometimes asks me, “Why are you doing this for him? He will never appreciate you. He wants to have me, he doesn’t like you”.

But, I tell her, “If I failed, he will never have you"

The efforts of mine, the persistence of him, and the charm of success take us to a valley of lush green lands. It’s the dream he has envisioned. Yes, it’s the destination. It’s the place where success embraces the dreamer. It’s where I feel so alone. It’s the place where my efforts and dreams are forgotten.

It’s the place where I die, to live again and to die again.

I ask them why they can’t take me to the stage. Why they can’t tell the crowd, it was me who taught them everything. It was me who made them reach the destination. It was me who help them embrace success. Without my help, they would have never had their dream fulfilled. The lessons I told them were the actual value. But they don't listen; they don't talk; they don't reply. They give all the credit to success who was only a silent passerby.

Yes, sometimes I can cripple the dreams too. When people cannot take the burden off me, they stop walking the path to their dreams and abandon the project. They blame me for being the obstacle. They curse me for being rude and strict.

But, it's actually their lack of motivation, their confusion, their own internal weakness, and not my brutality which push them to abandon the dream. All I want is to teach them the lesson, to give them the value, and make sure success is not just an empty slogan.

I fill the success with value, which helps make this world a better place to live.

I felt bad for Mr Failure and realized his crucial role in our lives. Without failure, there could be no success. We can achieve no dream, can accomplish no task, can walk no path if failure has not taught us the lessons. Success is merely a moment. It's only a resting place for a traveller who has been travelling for his ultimate destination. She accompanies us for only a flash of time.

For the rest of it, it's the failure who guides us.