"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor!"*

© Marek

I first shared this YouTube video four years ago. At that time it had almost half the views it has today. Even with millions of views, I'm betting most of you haven't seen it.  And if you have, it might just be time to watch it again.

Regardless of how you define success, it's human nature to look at people we admire and not realize the challenges they may have faced along the way. So often I'll hear photographers talk about other artists as if they were overnight success stories when "overnight" might in reality be years in the making!

Many of the motivational videos out there have good content, great music, and might even get the message across, but this one is pretty remarkable. In just over a minute it brings together one famous personality after another, reminding us that "If you haven't failed, you haven't lived."

The last frame simply says: "Life = Risk."  It's the perfect reminder of the challenges we take on every day as business owners.  I've quoted this old proverb before:

                                                                     "Smooth seas don't make skilled sailors!"

Between technology, the economy, consumer trends and each of our individual fears, we sail through the perfect storm every day. We get so wrapped up in the day-in-day-out challenges we forget to soar!

*Truman Capote