When Success Comes Before Failure

Something dawned on me today. When Success Comes Before Failure, failure tends to be easier to navigate, because success has created a buffer zone of resources. Plus if a person reached a certain height, it’s likely they can do it again. Now granted, failure is failure, but like many successful people in this world, when they fail, they tend to bounce back, resuming their talented actions to comeback almost as good, or better, than before; whereas if a person of little success fails, they have little to fall back upon.

I pondered this because; each person on this planet could be placed upon a scale of success. Albeit that is a relative word, nonetheless some have used their talents well, others have not. Some have few talents others have many, all according to their capacity to handle what God has meted out (see Matthew 25).

I really believe that this thought came to mind, because if and when we run into some kind of failure, or calamity, or hardship – how one has been effective prior to the engagement, may often determine their ability to rebound and turn around.

If a person has economic wealth and they fail economically, most rebound and turn around, simply because they already have the goods to make things happen. Or if a person has relational wealth and they fail relationally, likely they will rebound and turn around, because they’re good at relationships. Or if someone is physically and spiritually wealthy prior to a crash of some sort, it’s likely, due to their previous patterns of discipline and vision; they will rebound and turn around. Most of the folks that you can think of who have achieved something of note in any of these or other areas, will tend to survive and ultimately to reverse things and thrive once again.

So why these thoughts today? Because I have never thought of myself as a success in any particular area of my life when trials, challenges, and even failures come – bounce back IS EXTREAMLY difficult. Now I know some of you may be saying you’ve had more than your share of extremely difficult bounce backs, but let me ask you this: did you bounce back to the same level or what? Did the decline experienced by the failure, launch you to higher than previous levels or did you just bounce back to the level you were before?

I know people who might say failure brought them to greater levels of self-awareness and success in later endeavors – you know we learn from our mistakes – right? But, I really believe that if we understand the acquisition of resources and know how to succeed, it’s likely despite failure, those people fall back to the things that worked before and begin to do it again and bounce back.

What if someone is NOT familiar with success or methods of efficiency and effectiveness? When they fail or face dramatic hardship, do they survive? Let alone bounce back and thrive? Go drive through neighborhoods that are oppressed and poor. Go drive by the liquor store in the bad neighborhood and take note, history tends to repeat itself. Is it because we humans are just stupid or is it because When Success Comes Before Failure – rebound and turnaround is much more likely? I say it is.

When people neither have resources nor the know how to access streams of prosperity and power it’s likely they remain in that condition – then when failure comes before failure – failure is really devastating and typically exponentially reversing. Next thing you know, they’re living in their car. Next thing you know they’re a suicide statistic. Next thing you know they’re marching into the county jail in an orange jump suit.

Please if you’ve read this far, don’t plan a rebuttal that tells me pain, challenge, trials and failure are any less difficult for persons of exceptional success and resources – I get it. Pain is pain. Loss is loss. Failure is failure. But if someone from a wealthy family fails, they just might have familial resources to help them fight the failure and rebound and turn around.

If someone has a wealth of relationships that are high quality and dependable – failure to rebound to turn around will likely be bolstered by arms of love and acceptance. If someone has proven their worth by boot-strap-achievement, likely when they fall or get hit, they’ll pull themselves up once again. But God help the person of little resource when failure comes.

I have to ask myself – what resources, talents and experiences to I possess that can and will support me and thrust me into rebound and turn around if and when failure or calamity comes? It’s kind of like counting your blessings and naming them one by one.

If you’ve never done it before, take time to do it. Write down the blessings of God in your life. Write down and list the good things you can do, things you can do to make money and jobs you know you can do. Take time to list people who you love and trust and who could resource you relationally when needed. Take stock in how good life is NOW before the bottom drops out.

You just may find, your life is more successful than you think. Because When Success Comes Before Failure, failure’s usually not fatal. Let’s try to avoid another fatality, okay?