Quote:
Originally Posted by 1stindoor
That was a good post and reminded me of a talk I had with a young Soldier a few weeks ago. I asked him why he didn't consider going to SF, his response was he was afraid he'd fail selection. I've been thinking about his answer every since and thought...if that's how you think...you probably will fail. I went through in 1988, I don't ever remember worrying about failing, though I do remember worrying about carrying my fair share of the load.
|
1stindoor,
Intellectually, I understand where this guy is coming from, but I cannot fully understand that kind of thinking. I believe that the fear of failure is the worst excuse for not trying to accomplish something you hold in high regard. While I kind of feel bad for this guy, in the end I really don't. When people have remarked to me, "I could never be in the Marines, I don't think I could handle that," I usually tell them that they probably in all reality could, if they wanted to. In my mind though, I know that not believing in one's own capabilities and strengths is a guarantee of failure. If I were to not be selected, I wouldn't see that as a failure. The action of making an honest, true, and valiant effort to master the challenges presented before me does not constitute failure in my mind. Quitting, cheating, or any other negative removal would constitute failure, and that is not in my character. If I could not meet the standard, then that is that. There is a difference, then, between failure and non-selection.