Pin Your Tale on the Donkey

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Pin Your Tale on the Donkey

“Will you please take my photo with the burro?”  I asked my friend Bob Bemis as we walked together, while enjoying a welcome reception for the conference we were attending.  “I want to keep it around so I can remember the power of being sure-footed and stubborn.”  Burros are possibly most famous for their inherent stubborn streak.

Some people are known for their stubborn natures as well.  It’s a quality that’s not always viewed as positive.  Yet, there are positive traits, I can think of, which are considered its derivatives.  These attributes include tenacity, persistence and perseverance.  

Imaginably Michael Jordan was thinking of these very characteristics, and the burro, when he said, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

Failing is hard.  But, if you and I can visualize a small, sure-footed, persistent burro while experiencing trying times, perhaps we’ll be encouraged to follow her example and enjoy speedier success, while suffering less emotional turmoil.   Emulating positive traits of the burro, and making them part of our personal tale, can help all of us tap in to the core of what we are made to do; learn from our mistakes and feel the joy of personal growth.

Tale-of-the-donkey one.  Take the time to notice how your failures have changed you for the better.  While walking a rocky path, a burro pays close attention to the details of the trail.  They keep their head and eyes focused on the route at all times.  This allows them to notice every detail, every obstacle they are facing, no matter how small or large.  They have an amazing ability to remember the particulars of the path so they’ll be prepared to make adjustments as they progress.  If you and I will do the same, we’ll be able to use the power of recollection to aid us in the remembrance of who we once were, and how experience has made us wiser and stronger.

Tale-of-the-donkey two.  Allow your experience to assist you in establishing a greater belief in your ability to adapt. A seasoned burro knows she can count on her steady legs and hoofs to serve her over and over again, through difficult circumstances, because she’s gained confidence in her ability as a result of successfully traversing hard trails.  You and I can do the same.  Hold your failures in their rightful place, as experiences leading you closer and closer toward realizing your true potential.

Tale-of-the-donkey three.  Track all of your successes back to your failures, or as your mother and father said, “Remember where you came from and who you are.”  Burros know they’re burros.  So, they always act like burros.  As humans, we sometimes forget to remember the example of those who paved our way and brought us into the world.  Neither you, nor I would be alive today, enjoying a quality of life unmatched in all of history, had others not overcome many failures on their way toward growing success.  

No. Our ancestors were not perfect.  Yes. They failed over and over again.  And, look at the amazing word we’ve inherited from them!  We’re all human!  We’ll fail and we’ll ultimately succeed in becoming better than we were yesterday, because that’s what humans do.  History is a testimony of how people have stubbornly grown personally and collectively, often with a burro by their side.

“Will you please take my photo with the burro?”  I asked my friend Bob as we walked together, while enjoying a welcome reception for the conference we were attending.  “I want to keep it around so I can remember the power of being sure-footed and stubborn.”  Burros are possibly most famous for their inherent stubborn streak and I wanted to keep a visual reminder. 

An aide-mémoire to pin my tale on the donkey.