Identifying Failure

Is Failure a negative aspect or a positive opportunity?

I have set aside Fridays for posts pertaining to or referencing dirtbiking in some form. 

Today is Friday.  Um, duh, right?

Okay, but here's the thing, who has watched Motocross racing, been trail riding, helped a friend pack a bike or even just passed by a ride in the back of someone's rig on the road?  Just about everyone, right?

A question that pertains to writing along the same lines:  Who has written something, read something, knows someone who writes, someone who reads or someone illiterate?  Just about everyone, right?

Well, let's tie them together. 

Whether you dirtbike or not or even watch it at all, this has to impress you.

Photo courtesy of FMX School.

This is a picture of a combined Superman jump.  One is hanging of rear and one is jutting forward.  This is UNREAL!   I love this pic.  This could be considered true success - especially if they landed it with minimal pain. 

Everyone on the face of the planet has to recognize the famous title of this book.  The sheer success of the work has to be impressive to anyone whether they read or not.

Photo coutesy of WikiPedia.

Now, we can easily recognize the success that both of these images represent.  One is of physical prowess and the other is of a more creative bend.

Do you, however, know what it took to get there?  Can you appreciate the learning and accidents and pain that went into the first and most likely the second? 

For dirtbking, this is one of my favorite pictures... It encapsulates what I mean about failing: 

But does it really?  He/she is up in the air.  He/she obviously has the guts and know-how to get that far in the dirtbiking journey.  I'd say there are even some people who wish they could get that far (abeit minus the hospital bills).

How about in writing?  Do you think there are levels of success that might look like this?  Like failure?

Can you, in dirtbiking or writing, see the overall picture?  The where?  The what?  The who?  The why? 

Is there more behind your dream than just the success?  Do you do it for the love of it?  Even with the possibility of spilled blood?  No, I'm serious, I've cut myself writing, it wasn't pretty.

Here are the main questions for you, please answer, if you don't mind.

At what point is failure all you see - in whatever drives you?  What is considered success?

I, in the interim, am going to see about procuring myself a bike.  I need the thrum of the four-stroke to carry me through the woods!