The Option

“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”

– Roger Crawford

(1960-) Tennis Champion

One of my favorite scene from the movie, Apollo 13, was when the folks in Huston had to come up with a way for the astronauts to clean the air in the space capsule with the things they had on hand.  Here is where actor Ed Harris gives his famous line, "Failure is not an option."  For those who you are coaching toward the pursuit of a dream or goal, you need to help them to understand that failure is not an option.

                A mistake many people make when they are going after a dream or seeking change in life is that if the going gets tuff or too many difficulties arise, they can always quite.  Here is a fact, if you have the option to quite, you will quite.  Difficulties and hard times will come, there is just no getting away from it.  It is what is called life.  There will be challenges and hard decisions to make.  If you believe there is an escape hatch you will use it. 

                The best way to help your client, and yourself to move beyond the hard times is to create a no failure policy.  How do you do that?  It happens when you refuse to accept the option to fail.  You have an understand with yourself that no matter what happens, you will not give up or give in.  It is believing in your dream and yourself to the point that it is impossible for you to fail.

                When the difficult time and challenges come, you may need to change your approach.  You will need to seek a new approach to solve your problems.  This is the work of the coach.  The coach is there to help them discover a new route to take or a different way to see the challenge.  The coach is never there to encourage defeat or to change the dream or goal. 

                Challenges and struggles do not define our passion to achieve.  They are just the reality of life and we all are actually made better by the battles we face.  They teach us and refine us.  However, only we can allow them to discourage us.  Never think that because the road is hard that the goal is not worthwhile.  The easy road is the one to worry about.  If all life is a breeze you are not really living.  Face the road ahead and remember, failure is not an option!

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey