1. Are you afraid to fail?
As described in the lesson, most of us
are afraid to fail. This is often because we have learned to
view failure as an indictment on who we are: When we fail, we see it
as definitive proof that we're no good at something, or perhaps no
good in general. But when we realize that failure is a natural
learning process; that it is something we must tolerate as we advance
from #1 to #4 in The Four Stages of Learning (which
applies to everything we actively do), we should realize that
evaluating ourselves on the basis of failure is absurd. Also, see
Question #6 below.
2. Have you ever believed that
some people were always good at what they do?
When we see a person who is
exceptionally good at something, it's easy to assume that they've
always been good at it. Such people are often described as being
“gifted” or “talented.” And, unfortunately, that's how most
people view them. But while it may be true that a person can possess
a certain amount of natural ability or talent, it is wrong to assume
that they are as good as they are solely because of talent. To
be sure, raw talent can only take a person so far, beyond which,
other factors come into play. The very best of the best, in whichever
field, are as good as they are, not necessarily because of talent,
but because they wanted to be the best, and were willing to
learn how to do it. The person who has a burning desire and the
willingness to learn will, almost always, outperform the person who
possess great natural talent, but has a weak desire/willingness to
learn. Stephen King's quote from Lesson X seems appropriate:
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented
individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work and study.”
It's also worth remembering that, at one time, the best of the best
were in a position where they had never done what they are now
known for doing. Further reading: See Process and Product in
Lesson VII.
3. How do you respond when you
fail?
When things don't go as you expect
(assuming, of course, you aren't expecting to fail), how do you
react? Do you analyze, adjust, and try again? Or do you throw a fit
and whine like a young child? There are really only two responses to
failure: persist or give up.
4. Do you let other people's
opinions determine what you attempt to do?
It's easy to measure your life against
standards imposed on you by other people. Consider a child who has no
desire to play (say) baseball, but who plays nonetheless, because his
father wants him to. When we're young, we don't have much say in such
situations. But when we grow up we do. Yet many adults continue to
make important decisions, not on the basis of their own values, but
on the basis of the values of others. Consider the attorney who went
to law school because that's what her parents wanted, rather
than what she wanted. In addition, “other people” have a
tendency to always point out what “can't be done.” It is, in many
ways, a tragedy that so many dreams are snuffed out by the arrogant
and often baseless criticisms made by one's contemporaries.
5. Can you think of something
good that came about as a result of something you initially thought
was bad?
This question fits closely with
Napoleon Hill's famous saying: “Every adversity, every failure and
every heartache carries with it the Seed of an equivalent or greater
Benefit.” The key to doing this is looking for the seed of
an equivalent or greater benefit. No experience is worthless, unless
you let it pass without learning something from it.
6. Do you associate your
self-worth with your failures or mistakes?
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