The P ublisher Po stulates
MY MISTAKES AND FAILURES
Until I married Margaret, I had a tendency to overlook my mistakes, but she
points them out to me frequently, often before I even make them.
34 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2018
GRAM
Publisher / Editor
By Aaron R. Fodiman
A mong the many
subjects I am more
than qualified to
speak about is
“Mistakes and Failures.”
My father advised me at an
early age to learn from the
mistakes of others because I
might not live long enough to
make all of them myself. I’ve
tried to heed his warning.
However, it seems that
despite my attempts not to
repeat the mistakes of others,
I have been creative enough
to make many mistakes of
my own. I noticed early on that one of the
most dangerous phrases in the English
language is “This time it will be different.”
Unfortunately, history does repeat itself. It’s
not surprising that when you keep doing
what you have always done, different
results don’t seem to happen.
Often, my mistakes have occurred
because I either felt when I should have
thought, or I thought when I should have
felt. I also believe that the only people
who never make a mistake are those who
never strive to accomplish something.
Fortunately, each failure usually brings
enlightenment and knowledge. An
education gained in this manner can be
very expensive, but the lessons learned
will last, since failure seems to be the very
best teacher. As Thomas Edison said as he
once again tried to make a workable light
bulb, “I have not failed. I’ve just found
10,000 ways that won’t work.”
I believe that mistakes and failures are
an essential part of my learning process.
If you are one who believes that you have
never made a mistake or failed, that is
probably your biggest mistake. Failure is
never final, unless you never try again.
It does not matter how many times you
get knocked down, as long as you keep
getting up.
I see both mistakes and failures as
inevitable. I attempt to learn from them,
even if what I learn turns out to be wrong.
It is not always easy to see the cause of a
failure, but ultimately, I am able to find the
solutions I seek. What you have to hope
for is that what you have been trying to
achieve is really what you want. Sometimes
we pursue things that look attractive to us
until we get them, only to realize that they
were really just illusions. Such pursuits
can be some of the biggest mistakes of all.
For many of us,
finding what is truly
important is one of
life’s hardest lessons.
Each of us has his or
her own definition of
success, but many of
us never realize that
wanting what we have
may be more important
than having what we
want. That is one of the
lessons I learned when
I mistakenly believed
that things would
bring me happiness,
only to discover that happiness came from
within myself and not from successfully
pursuing a variety of goals and possessions
that ultimately were meaningless.
I have found that it is never a mistake to
do what my heart tells me is the right thing
to do. I don’t always succeed, but I always
try to do my best. I realize that sometimes
my best isn’t good enough and that I am
not going to win or accomplish what I’m
attempting to do. If I fail, I can either stop
trying, or try something new. Knowing
which to do is difficult. Yet those are the
choices. So if at first you don’t succeed,
try again. You may get lucky. 9