Second chances

I have an uncle in Hong Kong whom my parents visit every other year. He’s one of the more successful of dad’s siblings, having built a sizeable business on the island. We had a great time spending last Christmas with him.

Uncle Bernard had not always been successful. In his journey he went bankrupt 4 times, each time rebuilding his life again. He lost everything including his wife in the process. It was only after the coaster ride ended 15 years later that he settled down with wife no. 2. They have 2 children, my cousins who are now in Canada.

One of the most memorable quotes of his that I can remember is if you’ve never tasted failure, you will never know success. He says its normal for HK people to go bust and rise from the ashes a few times before they become truly successful. Its a story that’s told not with shame but with great pride, as an indication of how much salt one has eaten.

I don’t know if I can ever be like Uncle Bernard. The fact is some places treat failure differently. In the US, recovery from a mistake can be a very difficult process so the fear of mistakes can be paralyzing. All markets punish mistakes severely no doubt but its also true that some places make it easier for people to start afresh than others.

I do have a list of goofy mistakes a mile long. I’m told college won’t teach you these things. That’s reserved for the school of hard knocks and you know what the best part is? That apparently there’s no real secret to success. Just do it, make a mistake, then learn to do it better.

Nike had it right after all.

So mistakes are good because they help you become a better person. The only question now is would our girlfriends or boyfriends buy that