by Rex Apollo
Life is like a river. Not just any river mind you, but one full of rocks to avoid bumping into. Whenever we face the river, we strive not to hit the rock, which could capsize our canoe and have even more dire consequences for us. No matter how many times you have navigated the river, others around you will expect you to do so successfully again. People do not remember that we nailed it 99 times out of 100. They can only recall the one time we hit the rock.
While it does not seem fair, we are always judged more by our mistakes than our successes. It is expected that we will succeed. People are thus seldom given credit for it. However, when we make a mistake, everyone remembers. It is as if no one can stop talking about it.
I recall a time in high school when I hit the rock. It involved a ski race in Jackson, New Hampshire. In cross country ski racing, people start races at intervals since the tracks are not large enough for the entire field to begin all at once. My father handed me my number and I placed over my race uniform. However, later, my father mentioned that it was too hot to wear my undershirt under my race uniform and told to take it off. I took my father’s advice to heart and complied with his directive. A while later, I walked down to the start of the race a good quarter mile away. Two minutes before my race time, I took off my jacket only to discover to my horror that I had forgotten to put on my race number again. My father told me it was not worth going back to his truck to get it. On the long two-hour ride back to Vermont, he hardly spoke to me. It was to such a degree that his disappointment seemed part of the air I breathed.
For the rest of the season, all anyone in the ski community brought up in conversation was my missed start. They did not seem cognizant of my countless other on-time starts in my racing career. The one error loomed larger for everyone and hurt my reputation as a serious skier.
People are always searching for chink in the armor. They are far interested in that than the area where it is two inches thick. Our mission is to identify our chink and work on strengthening it. You will not be judged for your virtues but your faults. So whatever haunts you, take action today and iron out your chinks before someone exploits them.
Rex Apollo is the author of How to Spark Your Golden Age: Tips for Success sold on Amazon.
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Just as great civilizations can have Golden Ages, so can you!