Have you ever done something that afterwards you were so embarrassed that you couldn’t begin to comprehend how you even thought of doing it? I have... several times... more than I’d like to admit. The most recent case in my string of what I term life’s faux pas had me thinking. Actually, it had me feeling worthless. Now and again I would feel rivulets of tears streaming down my cheeks. One day, while feeling submerged in the sea of self pity my mind ran back in time to a conversation I had with my mother. I was pouring out my ‘troubles’ to her when she responded to me, be grateful.

Now this stood out to me for a couple of reasons. First I thought, why would I be grateful for something like this? Then I remembered some time before I had come to the conclusion that the secret to happiness is truly being grateful. This means at all times, particularly when things are not going well. What this does is help you change your perspective - to find the positives amidst the cloud of negatives.

Then I realized something; even though I had come to the conclusion earlier myself I still needed to be reminded of this. I believe this is how God works. Sometimes He makes us feel pain in order for us to remember that we still need to be grateful and that we need to have faith. So whenever you feel that you are encountering failure upon failure, just try to remember that going through life resembles a test drive. It may be good or it might be bad, you may meet hills and valleys, you may even find yourself in the wrong lane but you must have faith. Success may just be around the bend or miles along but you must keep driving, learning whatever you can from the mistakes made along the journey.

Now, I have come to another conclusion. Failure is not bad. One of the biggest failures anyone can make is not failing at all.

If you can please listen to the song entitled, Be Grateful by Walter Hawkins.