THE VALUE OF FALIURE
April 7, 2021
THE VALUE OF FALIURE
I have repeated classes twice in my life, yet I still graduated with a Ph.D. at the age of 26!
Let me show you how.
See, the first time I repeated a class was in my third year of high school.
I failed woefully and while some of my teachers advised my parents to allow me to proceed to the next class, in a way to save me from embarrassment, my parents refused.
Thank God they did! I didn't understand it at the time but it saved me from arrogance and overconfidence.
I repeated the class (the whole year) and passed excellently the following year.
The second time was my early days at the University.
I enrolled for the foundational (Pre-Degree) year of University and sat the entrance examination.
While I passed, I was not admitted due to some systemic inefficiencies and corruption.
I had to repeat the whole year. The following year I made it!
Why am I sharing this with you?
Failure has value! The value of failure is to learn from it.
My first repeat taught me that I was overvaluing myself and if I did not study, I would keep failing.
Study, I did! Failure provided me with the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
My second failure taught me that life is not always fair but I can't let that affect me. I've gotta keep pushing.
It taught me perseverance. It taught me resilience.
In the face of failure, embarrassment, and corruption, I didn't back down!
I saw my setback as a setup for my comeback.
Guess what today? You cannot trace those failures in my life.
I ended up finishing my studies way ahead of the ones that appeared to have overtaken me.
Listen, failure has value. Learn from it. Quit the crying. There is a whole lot ahead of you.
I believe in you.
- Dr. Samuel Ekundayo | The Purpose Preacher
You Need Clarity of Purpose
In 2017, I applied to speak at TEDx. Rejected. In 2018, I applied again. Rejected. In 2019, I applied twice—both times, again, rejected. But I didn’t stop. Why? Because I was stubborn about my purpose. Like the widow in Luke 18 who kept returning to the judge, pleading for justice, I kept showing up. I kept believing that one day, the door would open. Eventually, it did. That TEDx stage didn’t come because I was the most eloquent or the most visible—it came because I refused to give up. I’ve learnt that any success you desire in life will demand persistence. Not talent, not applause, not connections—persistence. When all else fails, try persistence. When clarity is blurry, try persistence. When the applause is absent and the doors are locked—try persistence. Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings (Proverbs 22:29). If I could share one counsel with every dreamer, it would be this: Be stubborn about your purpose. Be relentless in your pursuit. For in due season, you will reap—if you faint not. I believe in you. Dr Samuel Ekundayo | The Purpose Preacher