Failure Is The Backdoor To Success

Anyone who is afraid of failure and afraid to face challenges will never taste success, so said our Professor in Marketing. I did laugh it off at that time but got cold feet when it actually happened in my life.

I landed in this small tiny Arab State of Qatar in the Middle East to set up a joint Business venture. The project was to set up a world class Car Rental firm, possibly with an International tie up. Having decided on the project, I earnestly settled myself in getting into the details of registration, premises, stationery, finance, staff etc, etc. With a positive mind, I told myself nothing should stop me now. Having travelled miles away from home, I was more than keen to make this Business Venture a success. The name of the Company was chosen: SPEEDY Car Rental.

We were into Business for about 2 months and the least expected thing happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait. I realized that we were in a tight spot now. Tension ran high in the region. Eventually the war broke out in January 1991, many people fled the country and the region leaving SPEEDY in deep trouble.

As usual, "when things become difficult, and every effort seems to bring disappointment, it can be tempting to lower your expectations or even water down your goals and ambitions." It was no different with me. I thought of running away, hanging up my boots and calling it quits. I remembered the words of Thomas Edison, the famous scientist who said: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." How I wished it was true in this case too!

I decided to hang in. I kept telling myself, "I am not afraid of challenges and obstacles", after all they are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal! I stayed on through those grilling months of uncertainty and insecurity. Finances ran low, banks were up and above to get their dues. To add to all this, the banks even threatened to take all my vehicles that were hypothecated to them. In all this, I felt I made a wrong decision to move to the Middle East. I was now ready to face FAILURE.

I was living against all hopes. I prayed that the war may end soon. After 2 months it did, but not before I piled up enough debts for me and my Company. Each day I kept believing that something good would happen.

My Persistence and Perseverance paid off: as soon as the war was over, people started flooding back and the car bookings picked up. The company which was started off with 10 cars now grew five times over. It so happened that all who returned back to the country had no cars as they had already sold them off !

Speedy went on adding to its fleet and very soon entered the Top 5 bracket of Car Hire firms, which included the top names like Avis, Budget, Europcar & Hertz. We were invited by HONDA to visit their plant in Japan, which was a clear indication that the company had joined the big league.

Things were not the same and easy for Speedy. We had to work hard and improve on our sales and service. In a short span of 2 years Speedy grew even more. There were newspaper articles both in the local & international media (Gulf times, Khaleej Times, TTG Middle East etc) about the Fastest growing Company in the region.

Success, I believe, comes to the one who dares, even after failure, to think positively and look forward confidently. If I had to give up and do like others did, run from the troubled spot, I wouldn't be writing this article.

After all, it's only the experience that makes a man tough. I have learnt 2 lessons from the above experience and would like to share them with you.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it. It means that it will take a little longer.

Failure doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. It means that He has a better plan for you.

The so-called Failure is sometimes good; it provides us with a learning experience.

Everybody Has a Dream

It was way back in the year 1982. I remember as a young marketing person in this Multi national company in Mumbai, I had a very senior colleague named Paul, who taught me not only to handle marketing effectively but also to deal with life cheerfully.

It was one of those hectic days... management meeting, sales calls, planning my travel schedule, booking hotels, arranging appointments and the list was endless. By the end of the day, I was not only exhausted but was getting irritated with myself and everyone around me. It was at this time that Paul invited me to his house for a quiet "chill out".

We made our way to Paul's house, although tired, I was all excited to chat up with Paul and share and learn through his rich experiences in Marketing. As we entered through the main door to his house, Paul started singing that ABBA's all time favorite: I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me thru' in everything... and so on. I was in no mood to listen to his song; I wanted to hear about how he handled tricky sales calls!

As I leaned over Paul's shoulder to tell him just that, I was totally awe stricken at what I saw next. Two young girls, aged between 17 & 20, walked over to Paul and hugged him. They couldn't walk steadily, neither could they talk properly; their faces were full of smiles but they too sang a song: No mummy's kisses only Daddy's smiles, nobody wants us, Daddy hug us tonight.

I was still standing and watching all that was going on, totally lost in the beautiful singing, when Paul tapped me on my shoulder and asked me to sit down. Curious to know, I asked Paul who these girls were. I knew that Paul lived in that house but I had never seen these girls.

Over a much refreshing cup of tea and sandwiches, Paul went on to explain:

"I too have a dream, a dream to make these girls happy. They are my daughters and they were born as "Special children" (mentally challenged). And he further added, "They don't have a Mother. My wife died when they were very young", and that he is both Mother & Father to these beautiful daughters.

I could barely control my emotions and was moved to tears. In the office, no one knew what Paul was going through in his personal life. He never, ever, looked for "special privileges" from his higher ups or any sympathy from his friends and colleagues. In fact, he always helped us at the office and being the Head of the Department, always motivated us to move forward in life.

Paul's life has been an inspiration to me. If a man can smile through these so called troubles in life and yet excel in Corporate world, was there something that was keeping Paul happy and smiling inspite of his hectic schedule?

Probing a little further, I found that every night after the daughters were put to sleep, he would spend "silent time" with God, who not only strengthened him and gave him the courage but also helped him to move forward in life with a smile on his face.

I finished my tea and made my way out, when Paul said to me, "All of us have dreams, and sometimes shattered ones. If you take it to God in prayer, He will make your dreams whole."

How true, I said to myself. I had seen that today!

As he bid me good bye and I turned to walk away from him, I heard in that distant night Paul's voice once again singing that song to his daughters: I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me through in everything...

... and then the daughters singing to Paul: No mummy's kisses only Daddy's smiles, nobody wants us, Daddy can you hug us tonight?

The song faded as my cab moved away into the dark and lonely streets of Mumbai.