Pause for Thought – How success can come out of ‘failure’
The Reverend Zoë King, TSSF Rectorial Benefice of Barry
AS I’m writing this, the Barry 10K is taking place. People are running around our town and they must be grateful the weather has not been extreme either way – as it has been recently.
I have declared that I will run it next year so I have time to make sure I don’t completely embarrass myself. In 2019, my friend Jayne and I ran the Cardiff 10K – my favourite text was from my brother (a serving Royal Marine) saying you didn’t die, you didn’t come last – not a bad result. This time next year I hope I do slightly better than that – and again remain standing at the end.
We live in a world that often expects quick results and quick turnarounds. In a world of emails, texts and social media, it’s always a joy to receive a letter or card just to say hello or thanks, as it shows a bit of forethought and time. Things can’t always be achieved instantaneously and working towards a goal is something to celebrate – even if they don’t go the way we plan.
I failed my A-Levels first time round. Well, I passed one but I needed at least two. At the time it was the end of the world but that extra year, where I went to night school to redo an A-Level and worked that Christmas in David Morgans in Cardiff, I learnt a lot more about life and was more determined than ever.
In hindsight, failing at first was the best thing for me – it took me a few years to see that but the skills and experiences I gained along the way were worth it. What started as a failure ended up being a success – something Christianity knows to be true. Jesus looked as if he failed spectacularly on Good Friday but two days later, the fullness of God’s plan was revealed in the Resurrection. Seemingly abject failure became glorious.
This next year is going to be full of ups and downs as I try to get fit enough to run / stagger / crawl around the course next year but what will I learn along the way? Who knows? But it will all add to the experience. I’ll be a snail at the rear but I’m determined to beat my PB at Cardiff (which sounds far more grand than it really is).
May none of us be afraid to fail – for we all learn along the way and that can lead to so much more than we expect.
- The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees or its proprietors.
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