The other day, I was reflecting on my ‘failures’ in the music business. Having come close to what I considered successes should be so many times; now, as I look back, I realise how wrong I was. Far from seeing them as failures at all, I now see they were streams of successes.
I successfully learnt how to accept defeat, how to make the most of what little I had, how to applaud another’s successes when mine failed me, how to be positive through a cloud of disappointment, how to be truthful when lies would have sheltered my pride, and most of all, how to get up and start again and again when my defeats were overwhelming.
All of the lessons I learned through those times have made me a stronger human being and I believe a better gallerists. I know what artists go through to better and better themselves; that friends and customers don’t need to hear my woes to appreciate me; that a bad day/month or even year does not mean a bad life.
Every single one of us has experienced loss, defeat and disappointment. Believe me, those who shine in our eyes now, have had days, months or even years of darkness to wade through to get there, even if we think they’ve had it easy.
So if you’re experiencing momentary difficulty or a lack of success in your eyes, take it from me; you’ll relish the lessons you’re learning now. Nothing is ever for nothing. We may not see the reasons why for years, but they will come.
So be easy on yourself. Learn from where you are, then stack the lesson in a bag and get on with life. One day, you’ll be glad you have that lesson to reach for; it will make you a richer person and the pain won’t last forever… nothing ever does. And remember, nothing of worth ever came easy.