“You are just three feet from gold,” says Napoleon Hill. 

The whole thing about never quitting, facing down adversity, building it no matter how many times, staying positive, yada yada… Well, I’m trying. But God, I’m falling so short, and am in so much pain.

Somehow, if failure is the seed of success, and if I’m three feet from gold, then that means I have to turn my regret into gold. Somehow I have to transform the pain into some sort of activity that can help and serve others.

But I can’t be a martyr. That was the programming from my family. “Martyrdom. Woe is me. Life dealt me a lousy deck of cards. I’ll sacrifice myself for others.” 

No, Jim Rohn said that self-development earns respect while self-sacrifice earns contempt. I have to allow that what I do will help me, too. Perhaps I’ve been programmed by to feel unworthy. Some people are technically challenged. I’m self-esteem challenged.

So where’s the gold in the regret? Well, I don’t know, but Tony Robbins assures us that questions are a great first start. By asking the right questions, you send a signal to your reticular activating system to focus on finding an answer.