you might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success
quite as much as a desire for success
quite as much as a desire for success indeed your conception of failure might
indeed your conception of failure might
indeed your conception of failure might not be too far removed from the average
not be too far removed from the average
not be too far removed from the average person’s idea of success so high
person’s idea of success so high
person’s idea of success so high have you already flown ultimately we all
have you already flown ultimately we all
have you already flown ultimately we all have to decide for ourselves what
have to decide for ourselves what
have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure but the world is
constitutes failure but the world is
constitutes failure but the world is quite eager to give you a set of
quite eager to give you a set of
quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it so I think it
criteria if you let it so I think it
criteria if you let it so I think it fair to say that by any conventional
fair to say that by any conventional
fair to say that by any conventional measure a mere seven years after my
measure a mere seven years after my
measure a mere seven years after my graduation day I had failed on an epic
graduation day I had failed on an epic
graduation day I had failed on an epic scale an exceptionally short lived
scale an exceptionally short lived
scale an exceptionally short lived marriage had imploded and I was jobless
marriage had imploded and I was jobless
marriage had imploded and I was jobless a lone parent and as poor as it is
a lone parent and as poor as it is
a lone parent and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without
possible to be in modern Britain without
possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless
being homeless
being homeless the fears that my parents had had for me
the fears that my parents had had for me
the fears that my parents had had for me and that I had had for myself had both
and that I had had for myself had both
and that I had had for myself had both come to
come to
come to and by every usual standard I was the
and by every usual standard I was the
and by every usual standard I was the biggest failure I knew
biggest failure I knew
biggest failure I knew now I’m not going to stand here and tell
now I’m not going to stand here and tell
now I’m not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun that period of
you that failure is fun that period of
you that failure is fun that period of my life
my life
my life and I had no idea that there was going
and I had no idea that there was going
and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has said since
to be what the press has said since
to be what the press has said since represented as a kind of fairytale
represented as a kind of fairytale
represented as a kind of fairytale resolution I had no idea then how far
resolution I had no idea then how far
resolution I had no idea then how far the Telex
the Telex
the Telex [Music]
[Music]
[Music] and you light at the end of it was a
and you light at the end of it was a
and you light at the end of it was a rather than a reality
so why do I talk about the benefits of
so why do I talk about the benefits of failure simply because failure meant is
failure simply because failure meant is
failure simply because failure meant is stripping away of the
stripping away of the
stripping away of the I stopped pretending to myself that I
I stopped pretending to myself that I
I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I want
was anything other than what I want
was anything other than what I want began to direct all my energy into
began to direct all my energy into
began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to
finishing the only work that mattered to
finishing the only work that mattered to me had I really succeeded at anything
me had I really succeeded at anything
me had I really succeeded at anything else I might never have found the
else I might never have found the
else I might never have found the determination
determination
determination one arena where I believed I truly
one arena where I believed I truly
one arena where I believed I truly belong
belong
belong I will set free
I will set free
I will set free because my greatest fear
because my greatest fear
because my greatest fear and I was still alive if I still had a
and I was still alive if I still had a
and I was still alive if I still had a daughter whom I
daughter whom I
daughter whom I and I have an old typewriter
became a solid pound
became a solid pound [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you might never fail on the
unless you lose
unless you lose might as well not
might as well not
might as well not in which case
failure gave me an inner security that I
failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing
had never attained by passing
had never attained by passing examinations failure taught me things
examinations failure taught me things
examinations failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned
about myself that I could have learned
about myself that I could have learned no other way I discovered that I had a
no other way I discovered that I had a
no other way I discovered that I had a strong will and more discipline than I
strong will and more discipline than I
strong will and more discipline than I had suspected I also found out that I
had suspected I also found out that I
had suspected I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above
had friends whose value was truly above
had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies the knowledge that
the price of rubies the knowledge that
the price of rubies the knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from
you have emerged wiser and stronger from
you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are ever after
setbacks means that you are ever after
setbacks means that you are ever after secure in your ability to survive you
secure in your ability to survive you
secure in your ability to survive you will never truly know yourself or the
will never truly know yourself or the
will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships until
strength of your relationships until
strength of your relationships until both have been tested by adversity such
both have been tested by adversity such
both have been tested by adversity such knowledge is a true gift for all that it
knowledge is a true gift for all that it
knowledge is a true gift for all that it is painfully won and it has been worth
is painfully won and it has been worth
is painfully won and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever
more than any qualification I ever
more than any qualification I ever earned so given a time Turner I would
earned so given a time Turner I would
earned so given a time Turner I would tell my 21 year old self the personal
tell my 21 year old self the personal
tell my 21 year old self the personal happiness lies in knowing that life is
happiness lies in knowing that life is
happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition or
not a checklist of acquisition or
not a checklist of acquisition or achievement your qualifications your CV
achievement your qualifications your CV
achievement your qualifications your CV are not your life though you will meet
are not your life though you will meet
are not your life though you will meet many people of my age and older who
many people of my age and older who
many people of my age and older who confuse the two life is difficult
confuse the two life is difficult
confuse the two life is difficult and complicated and beyond to anyone’s
and complicated and beyond to anyone’s
and complicated and beyond to anyone’s total control
total control
total control humility to know that will enable you to
humility to know that will enable you to
humility to know that will enable you to survive
you
you [Music]
”
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