masterwordsmith-unplugged

Can you remember how you first fell down when you learnt how to walk? Or maybe how you almost drowned when you were learning how to swim and all you took home from that first experience was the taste of yucky water from the pool or the sea? If you cannot, it may be good. If you can, it could be good or bad depending on how you remember that failure and allow it to influence your life.

Here are a few examples of how failure paved the way to success for a few famous personalities.

1. Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

In school, the young Edison’s mind often wandered, and his teacher, the Reverend Engle, was overheard calling him “addled.” This ended Edison’s three months of official schooling.

His mother then home schooled him. Much of his education came from reading R.G. Parker’s School of Natural Philosophy and The Cooper Union.

Edison developed hearing problems at an early age.
(extracted from Wikipedia)

2. Marilyn Monroe was dropped in 1947 by Twentieth Century-Fox after one year under contract because Production Chief Darryl Zanuck thought she was unattractive.

Undaunted by this rejection, she went on to become a Hollywood sex goddess, starring in All About Eve, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot and The Misfits.

You can read more about other famous successful personalities who despite encountering failure, marched on to greater achievements in their lives at this link.

3. Every baseball fan knows that Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but they probably won’t be able to tell you that he struck out 1,330 times.

4. R.H. Macy failed in seven different business endeavors before his store in New York caught on.

5. English novelist John Creasy got 753 rejection slips before he published his 564 books.

6. The next time you feel like quitting, remember this story:

*at age 22 he failed in business
*at age 23 he ran for state legislature and lost
*at age 24 he failed in business again
*at age 26 his sweetheart died and he was broken-hearted
*at age 27 he had a nervous breakdown
*at 34 he eventually regained his health,ran for Congress and was
defeated
*at age 39 he ran for Congress again, and lost again
*at age 46 he ran for senate and lost
*his ticket was lost when he ran for Vice President at age 47
*at age 49 he ran for Senate again, and was defeated;
*at age 51 he ran and was elected to the office of President of the
United States.
His name was Abraham Lincoln.

7. Jonas Salk worked for fifteen years before he found the vaccine for polio. That was fifteen years of continuous failure for one success. But look at the benefit to mankind.

Several years ago, Columbia University was revising a part of the curriculum for their graduate business school and asked dozens of successful businessmen what the most important ingredient for success was. The answer wasn’t charisma, education, money, salesmanship, or leadership qualities. It was persistence.

Learning to be a parent is learning from mistakes, not from success. You don’t learn much when you’re successful, but you certainly learn when you do something wrong. As a parent, I realize now the important of starting out ready to make mistakes (but learning from them) so that my kids can learn with me and even from my mistakes.

Success and failure have the same root–the desire to achieve–but avoiding failure is not the same as achieving success. Failure is determined by what you allow to happen, success by what you make happen.

It is extremely important to emphasize the concept of failure as a positive experience. The only time failure becomes negative is when you stop the effort after the failure, that is when you give up.

I have made up my mind that if I try anything worthwhile, I may probably fail at it first. I will not be discouraged but I will learn something, and try again.

To be honest, I feel quite inadequate in many areas but that is not going to stop me from trying.
So I am not going to worry about failure or the chances I miss when I don’t even try.
I guess we should learn to accommodate some levels of failure and pick from the failure essential lessons which could reposition ourselves more strongly.

I've decided to accept and conquer failure and know that yes, being human means I am prone to err but I realize that almost everyone fears failure but breakthroughs depend on it. So, no matter what, I will continue to improve myself in areas of weakness till I die.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's:

* Respect for self

* Respect for others

* Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS.

As a little girl growing up in the 60's, my main pursuit was devouring books, classics and also comics including Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Green Lantern, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Mighty Thor, Archie comics etc. I must confess that I have a sizeable collection of comic book hero figurines that I bought for my son but sometimes, I wonder if I bought them for myself :-) to remind me of the best moments of childhood. It saddens me to see how the current generation are not aware of the wonderful heritage of comics and books as many choose to live in the world of Play Station, Nintendo games, online games or other frivolous pursuits. As a teenager, my limited pocket money was spent on vinyl discs and renting books. I do lament that to feed my insatiable need to read, I had to sell my comics and other books to the second-hand bookstore owner along Macalister Road.

When gleaning news of current events in the country, my heart is filled with dread, apprehension and much uncertainty. I can either live in blissful ignorance or to cope with my reaction by replacing those negative vibes with hope. Sometimes, I go on 'strike' by not reading the news and not surfing my usual haunts but can only abstain for a few hours. The current scenario reminds me of the people of Gotham...as such, I have rewritten my review of "The Dark Knight" which I posted last year to reflect on its relevance to the prevailing trends. Please leave a comment if you wish because I would love to hear your view...Thanks and have a nice day!

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Based on the DC Comics character Batman, "The Dark Knight" is a 2008 American superhero film co-written by Christian Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer and directed by Christopher Nolan.

Many may not be aware of the themes and moral implications of this movie. To me, it has a meaty screenplay and yet one that is dark, disturbing, complex, amazingly nihilistic, so richly layered that I cannot imagine how a comic that became gothic transformed into a psychotic movie that is a grim portrait of our own paranoia, sense of hopelessness and selfishness. The best part is Nolan does it so subtly that it simply seers into the core of our being and consciousness and will go down in history as THE BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!!

As a sequel to "Batman Begins" (2005), the movie is an absolutely spectacular stunner with feverish action, dazzling effects and provocative themes because unlike all other comic-book movies, this one razor cuts through a deeper dimension of the human psyche to paint a dual picture of our human condition.

Nolan has given all of us a virtual dissertation on the nature of good and evil, as well as the thin line that sometimes separates them. Nolan makes us think about the choices that we have to make and the consequent depravity of the human condition when we succumb to obsessions.

This is seen so clearly in the moral ambiguities of the main characters namely Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the Joker (Heath Ledger), Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). It sets itself apart from other movies because while exuding a sense of dread and suspense, it tugs at our nerves, moves our conscience in such a way that it both delights and disturbs us.

Believe me, "The Dark Knight" is a film steeped in tragedy, sacrifice, and heroism, and the eternal struggle at its heart will resonate through the ages. Shining in these areas, "The Dark Knight" is an artistic achievement in its own league that none can compare and if you think far and deep enough, it explores issues that are particularly relevant in today's society, when crime is up and terrorism is a constant fear. This is not just a movie about a superhero fighting a maniacal bad guy; it's about our nation's need for a hero in troubling times, as well as our frequent inability to find one who's trustworthy and incorruptible. At this point, does it not sound too close to home in the light of the events that are happening in our own country? Don't we need a hero? Some of us could be feeling very down, in the dark abyss of despair like the Gothamites and we may have already resigned ourselves to a horrible downhill journey and we could feel that whatever effort made by the unsung heroes have gone to the dumps. Honestly, I do feel like this sometimes but I push such negative thoughts aside and believe that somehow, things have to get worse before it gets better...but the question is how long are we to wonder in the desert of despair and hopelessness while witnessing how the evil plans in the plot are being dramatized by seasoned actors?

Being a dreamer, I derive much delight in imagining different possibilities such what would happen if a person decided to strap on a super-suit and save us all!!! Movies offer this opportunity for us to slip into a world of fantasy as we lose ourselves to a make-believe world where anything can happen when good triumps over evil but alas, if only life can be as simple as this.

In this vein of thought, you can imagine the ecstasy I felt when the hero and his alter-ego of "The Dark Knight" is thrust into a world where Wayne's frivolity is as despised as Batman's vigilantism. More important than this, however, is the idea that Batman is not just a guy in a suit, but a symbol and there are people in the film – most notably The Joker – who want to destroy that symbol. Don't I wish there is a 'Batman' where I live to .........*sigh*

While Batman's identity remains secret and his motives unknown to Gothamites, he represents hope in a city that has little to spare and embodies a pursuit of justice – and further, a code of behavior – that quite literally threatens these criminals' way of life. By throwing Gotham into chaos and testing the limits to which Batman holds himself, The Joker is not merely plying death and destruction but willfully destroying the philosophical foundations of organized society. Somehow, this scenario seems awfully familiar except we have no dark knight or do we?

The closest such examination another comic book-oriented film has ever attempted was the emotional through line of the Spider-Man films. Peter Parker's struggle was almost exclusively personal, whereas Wayne not only has to find a way to maintain his moral compass, but consider what the repercussions of his heroism are to both the public and the criminals themselves.

With endless surprises you never really know where the end is going or what evil and mischief the villains will create next. Then, it is all over. The sure sign of a blockbuster? After all two and a half hours of the emotional angst and exhaustion of the Dark Knight, we are left revved up with energy and adrenaline and are already hoping for the next Batman film. Sans Ledger, sadly, but you will notice, we never have to see the Joker die so perhaps... just maybe...he lives on.

As we know, Heath Ledger won a posthumous Academy Award for his role. Christian Bale also gives a brilliant performance as the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman has layers of subtlety to it. Bale's portrayal of the superhero is so grounded in reality that you almost take it for granted, especially if you are being distracted by the sinister pyrotechnics of his nemesis.

To me, I can review "The Dark Knight"in four words: BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE EVER!!.The film ends on a surprising and intriguing note - one that I never expected, but which paves the way for a third installment that promises to be just as deep, ambitious, and penetrating as this one. While I hope for a sequel, yet I hope there is none for it would not do justice to "The Dark Knight'. Tell me, how can you beat perfection? And "The Dark Knight' certainly reeks perfection all the way from start to finish! Have you watched it yet? I have watched it five times already :-). If you have not, don't miss it! In the mean time, I will have to comfort myself with the hope that one dark knight can save us all...

Do you want to have more inner peace? You can accomplish your goal by taking steps that will help you grow physically, mentally and financially.

Focus on your health. Get plenty of aerobic exercise and eat an abundance of nutritious food every day. Do activities such as jogging, cycling, swimming or brisk walking at least thirty minutes almost every day. Follow the established nutrition guidelines.

Reduce the amount of time you spend harboring negative emotions. Do not get mad over little things. Avoid carrying grudges and hatred in your heart.

Handle your stress properly. When you feel tense or pressed, take a deep breath and remember that your performance, health and level of inner peace will be affected negatively by an overload of stress. Have you heard the phrase that says, "Rise to the occasion?" When it is very important to perform at your best level, you must relax and totally concentrate on your task.

Do not be ashamed to cry or express your anger in a harmless manner. If you want or need to cry or scream, please do so because it will help you feel better; furthermore, suppressing your grief or anger will hurt your immune system.

Laugh alone and with others at things that are funny but harmless. Laugh at things that have already happened. If you think of something funny around others, do not laugh too loudly.

Think positively. Turn negative experiences into positive experiences by contemplating the benefits that may come from what has happened. For example, if you lose a few dollars you put into a side pocket or shallow back pocket, you can use this error to become more careful and avoid losing a lot more money in the future.

Do not dwell on the past. This is counterproductive and will not bring you peace of mind. Only use bad memories of your past to avoid repeating your mistakes.

Think about your good experiences as much as possible. Use these good memories to become happier.

Be courteous to others. Being mean brings guilt and a lack of inner peace.

Volunteer your time at least occasionally. Help others in need.

To increase your chances of feeling comfort and peace of mind in your golden years, prepare for your retirement. Create and stick to a budget. Save at least ten percent of your income. Take advantage of any retirement accounts provided by your employer.

Use your physical and mental energy to do good things. Do what you can to make a difference.

- Author Unknown-