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POINTS OF VIEW

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The Stepping Stones
Failure is a matter of perspective (Challenging the cult of 'Success-Via-Failure', Jan 15). Many think of failure as the opposite of success. But failures are, in fact, the stepping stones to success. Nothing worthwhile in life has ever been achieved without a series of failures. Failure is, as James Allen rightly pointed out, one of the 'pathways to attainment.'
Successful people also make mistakes. They also fail but they don't give up. Instead, they remain steadfast. They overcome their fear of failure and are quick to learn from their mistakes. There are numerous examples of celebrities, sportspersons, actors, authors and leaders who, in spite of facing defeat, did not give up on their dreams. They succeeded in overcoming their fear of failure.
As a student, I have faced my share of failures, but I learned that it was the only path to success. Everyone faces failure - it's part of life - yet, it remains one of the biggest fears people have. It is one of the major things that hold people back from realising their full potential and achieving their goals.
The fear of failure immobilises you, restricts you to your comfort zone, prevents you from moving forward in life and hampers your chances of success. Failure leaves you bitter, miserable and depressed, so it is easy to see why people are afraid of failing. But if you choose to take no action, you end up missing out on potential opportunities and push yourself into mediocrity.
The key to dealing with failure is to never give up. While Ford is today known for his innovative assembly line and American-made cars, he wasn't an instant success. In fact, his early businesses failed and left him broken five times before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company. We should all take his cue and not let failure come in the way of our great successes.
Congratulations on your winning entry, Aziz Agashiwala! We will BE IN TOUCH WITH you shortly.
» Turning Failure Into Success
Challenging the cult of 'Success- Via- Failure' (Jan 15) was an insightful read. Failure is a dreadful feeling that we have all faced at some time or the other in our lives, when we do  not reach our expectations and begin to feel worthless. But during this time, the urge to bounce back and embrace life with all its ups and downs should be greater than just sulking about our misfortune.
To succeed, we must first stop thinking negatively and take on a new perspective. Building our character, accepting our strengths and weaknesses, and developing compassion and humility can only be achieved if we do something positive about our loss.
Of course, this is easier said than done because when we are low its often difficult to pull ourselves together. And different people fight battles differently - some are strong enough to get back on their feet themselves, but others need a little extra help. There is no shame in reaching out to somebody and asking for their help to pull yourself up and restore your confidence. With the support of family and friends and even professional counselling, we can overcome the feelings of sadness that accompany failure.
So seize every opportunity to love life once again; after all, failure is merely a stepping stone to success.
Tasneem Bharmal, by email
» Mixed Bag
Reading the article When 3 is Company (Jan 15), got me thinking about celebrities and why we're always so eager to follow what they do, whether it involves their careers or their lifestyle choices.
Actors, musicians and stars of all kinds do all sorts of things to attract more followers and lure them into buying their merchandise. Often people forget that their lives are not like normal peoples' lives. Take the ladies in the article - spouses of leading actors in Bollywood, who enjoy a variety of benefits just by being associated with them. Regular folk don't have those privileges or benefits, yet, for some reason, they want to buy the products they endorse, without so much as a second thought. Celluloid life is entirely different from reality and cannot be emulated in real life all the time by everybody.
My concern is that although The Label Life project doesn't compromise on quality and design, it isn't attainable by a majority of the people that idolise these ladies. The things they sell, as is the case with a lot of celebrity-endorsed labels, are often prohibitively expensive and not affordable for a big part of society. Don't they deserve quality as well?
For me these celebrity wives are wealthy because of their wealthy male partners, and they take full advantages of that. But Bollywood - the industry that affords them these privileges - is supported and exists mostly because of the general public.
Ramachandran Nair, by email