“There is no such thing as failure, there is just feedback.” For some reason these words of wisdom have been on my mind lately. Maybe it is because of the state of our nation or the individual struggles of those I work with at my job. Both reasons are plenty to have this idea of new failure just feedback in my thoughts.
On the road to recovery there will be many incidents where different strategies are tried and some will succeed and others will be clear feedback to try something else. That is the nature of seeking solutions for problems of such magnitude, like our country has now, that not even the experts are sure what to do. In pursuit of answers we look at what is working and what is not. Once you see a strategy doesn’t work then we eliminate that strategy from our options and instead explore other ideas. The best as mentioned in yesterday’s blog is to keep at it until we come upon the right set of ideas to move our nation in the right direction.
The same is true for the individuals as far as there is no failure just feedback about needing to keep on trying things until it works. When a child is learning to walk they often fall but they don’t quit because they are determined to work at it until they get it right. That is how life is for those struggling with addiction, mental health issues, loss of work, low income, lack of confidence and other human limitations. Like kids learning to walk, we have to get back up, brush off the knees and often the pride and try again until we reach our goals. Success is just another step away if you are determined to get there.
Both nationally and individually we have to be patient, we have to keep on exploring what will work best and sooner than later the results will turn toward what we are seeking. Quitting is not an options there is instead more experimenting until things work out.
Recently one of the guys who completed treatment with us went out into the world and quickly relapsed. We all felt disappointed and wondered what we could do better. He was a very likeable guy who was a joy to be around in his own unique way. The good news was that the next day he righted his ship and got back on the road to recovery. This quick turnaround is almost unheard of especially for someone with his long history of struggle with alcohol. He seems to have gotten the ideas and courage to go forward and we all feel better to know that his little fall to the knees was just short enough to up his determination to succeed.
Let’s hope our nation can get right back on track despite the AIG’s of the world. Together let’s get up and join together to be successful.
Welcome feedback along the way because it will show you where you need to go.