People want to hear about your failures.
They want to know if you are just like them.
Find out why by watching our Truth in Two (full text below).
Support MarkEckel.com (here). Find the MarkEckel.com YouTube Channel (here). Mark is President of The Comenius Institute (website). Dr. Eckel spends time with Christian young people in public university (1 minute video), teaching at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, and interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video). Consider becoming a Comenius patron (here).
FULL TEXT
If you’re knocked down 7 times, Get Up 8. I can hear myself uttering that line to students each semester. We are all quite familiar with failure; most of us have lived it. Failure is a part of life. Lessons learned from failure are so important to me, I teach them to college English classes.
For instance, Dr. Seuss’s first book And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street was rejected 27 times before it was published. J.K. Rowling, famed author of Harry Potter, tells of her experience, recounting to young writers the numerous rejection letters from publishers.
And I tell students about my own failures. The stories my students want to hear have little to do with writing or English, however. My students want to hear about my life. So, I tell them. I tell them from a human perspective, my move to Indianapolis was catastrophic for my career. The awful injustice of my job being taken from me just after I got here – through no fault of my own – began a string of vocational failures.
Most people do not want to hear about your successes. They want to hear about your failures. Degrees and titles mean little. Folks want to know if you hurt like they’ve been hurt. And if, by the way, you want to hear my stories, call me up. We’ll chat.
You see, people want to know I’ve been where they are. I have been in the lowest of lows. I have struggled. I have gotten knocked down. And I got back up. I got knocked down some more. And I got back up more and more and more. I say to everyone who is struggling, who has failed, if you’re knocked down 7 times, get up 8. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally seeking truth even in failure.
Once again so timely Mark. After a 30 year career came to an end for me in 2013 I was again in the job market, but it seemed my field of expertise had made some dramatic turns. I was hurt and frustrated wondering if I would ever get back on my feet. Then came an opportunity to enter into a new chapter as I became a print operator at NGA (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency) in Springfield, Virginia. God provided for Jackie and I in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your story Jim! I’m glad to connect with readers in ways that make a personal difference!
Mark, thanks for sharing. I had no idea. I’ve been through something similar. We should talk sometime. I’d love to hear your lessons through the journey. -Jim
Gratitude to you Jim! I sent an email and look forward to a chat!
You made yourself real to us in high school. You made it okay to ask questions. Much of the hat you did in class, I have done for 2 decades. You started something and it has traversed state lines, school districts and sports teams. Much love!
Dear Rico. Thank you for your good word. May the Lord continue to use you for His glory in your time and place. His Peace to you.