Failure is not something to fear.

I just scrapped the entire seat cowl i had worked on for my friends XS400. If you aren't satisfied with something, don't be afraid to start over. I failed at what i had set out to do. I did not meet my own standards for an acceptable piece, but I'm perfectly ok with that. Bill Gates said it's fine to celebrate your success, but it's far more important to heed the lessons of failure. A life unmarked by failure is a life that was barren of adventure, devoid of heartfelt attempts. Yet persistence is irreplaceable and wholly omnipotent in life. Unsuccessful men with talent is a commonplace thing, unrewarded genius is a daily occurrence, and we drown in a sea of educated derelicts on a daily basis. What really shines through is persistence and determination in the face of adversity and failure. If you don't fail, you never risked anything; you merely existed without the excitement of living. Take some chances... Begin with the knowledge that you may fail, but never give up trying. In whatever you do, work, art, creation, destruction, mentally, physically, spiritually, whatever you do, do it with all you've got. Otherwise, I can't take you seriously. Never trade the security of existence for the thrills of living. Get out there and get dirty! Scrape your knees up, bleed a little, break something, and learn from your mistakes.

 

- TJ Stiles