Some of my clients tell me they feel like failures. I tell them that I see them as heroes—I only coach heroes, not failures. They think I'm just being nice, but I'm dead serious. They are heroes. However, even heroes have moments when they feel like failures.
There are two main reasons they feel this way.
First, they've forgotten that they're playing a different game.
Imagine measuring people's success by how long it takes to finish a 10K race. Some may drive a car, some may ride a bicycle, some may run, some may walk and some may even walk backward.
Would you say the ones who ran and walked are failures because they came in later than the ones who drove?
(BTW, if your answer is yes, then sorry, there is nothing I can do for you.😛)
No, we will not say people who ran or walked are failures.
On May 8, 2023, at the Southeast Asian Games, a Cambodian athlete finished her 5K race last, during a torrential rainfall. Her time was 22:54, almost six minutes after the race's winner. She was not feeling well, and her coach recommended not running, but she felt it was more important to represent her country than the result. As she finished, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause for the drenched runner. Think about why.
The second reason people feel like failures is that they forget or don't give themselves enough credit for their journey.
Many of my clients are migrants. They've moved from Asia or Europe to the US, from Australia or America to Europe, in pursuit of a better life and their dreams. Many of them have advanced degrees like masters or PhDs. They've built careers among people who speak different languages, while raising families. Some have pioneered new career paths that didn't exist before. And all of them said they felt like failures. Until, I reminded them of their amazing achievements.
What about you? Are you a failure or a hero who may be going through challenges?
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