Jiddu Krishnamurti, a well-known Indian philosopher, famously observed, “One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.” Fear of losing the familiar often inhibits us from taking risks. However, history and current events are replete with luminaries whose falls were important in achieving their outstanding triumphs.
Let us travel to the world of science, where Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose’s story is woven into the annals of history. He suffered countless rejections, bigotry, and a lack of resources as a polymath, physicist, biologist, and botanist. Despite several setbacks, he persevered and is now regarded as one of the fathers of radio science and a biophysics pioneer. His setbacks were more than just setbacks; they were stepping stones to his remarkable triumphs.
Beyond Indian borders, Thomas Edison’s fame endures as a global tribute to the spirit of this ideology. Edison, well known for creating the electric light bulb, experienced nearly a thousand fruitless attempts before his moment of glory. “I have not failed,” he famously said. “I’ve just discovered 10,000 ways that will not work.” This expresses an empowering viewpoint: falls, in the pursuit of perfection, are illuminations rather than terminations.
In the world of sports, consider the legendary Michael Jordan. Jordan’s journey was far from easy, having been cut from his high school basketball team and dealing with the great sadness of losing his father. Despite his repeated failures and continuous desire to improve, he rose to become possibly the greatest basketball player of all time.
Understanding that falling is a universal human experience is critical to accepting falls. It connects us together in our mutual pursuit of perfection and improvement. Furthermore, it is via these falls that we cultivate creativity, invention, resilience, and, eventually, human progress.
Perfection is not a destination but a journey marked by stumbles, failures, and blunders. We learn from the inspiring stories of these trailblazers that our failures are not just flaws but the chisels that shape our eventual masterpiece.
Each tumble will be the wind beneath your wings, allowing you to soar to new heights. Let us be the symphony of stumbles, each note resonating with the falls and climbs of our collective and individual travels, culminating in the magnum opus of our collective and individual journeys.