If you pay attention to business failures, you may start to perceive what some call “dead ends onto right paths.” Here are a few Harvey McKay gave in his classic business book:

1) Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper. For what? For lack of ideas.

2) MGM’s memo after Fred Astaire’s screen test said: Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.

3) Beethoven’s violin teacher declared him hopeless as a composer.

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. If that list of dead ends doesn’t encourage you, have someone check your pulse. Failures do not a career UN-make. On the contrary: A dead end is your signal to make a RIGHT turn . . . into the high calling of our daily work.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. (Ps. 73:26)

(Howard Butt, The High Calling of our Daily Work, http://www.thehighcalling.org/Library/ViewMessage.asp?MessageID=387&WID=371&T=H&SID=12675)