In nature, failure is not an exception; it is a process.
A lion succeeds in only about a quarter of its hunting attempts. Most of the time, it returns empty-handed. Yet, it does not pause to mourn missed opportunities or retreat into self-doubt. It hunts again. This quiet persistence reflects a natural principle often overlooked by humans, the Law of Wasted Efforts.
Across the natural world, loss is woven into survival. Many fish eggs never hatch.
Numerous animals die before maturity. Most rainfall ends up in oceans, unused by farmers. Seeds are eaten long before they sprout. Still, forests thrive, rivers flow, and ecosystems endure. Nature progresses not because every effort succeeds, but because life continues despite losses.
This lesson holds deep relevance for Nigerians today.
In a society weighed down by economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity, and delayed dreams, many people are tempted to interpret setbacks as final judgments. A failed business, an unsuccessful application, a delayed breakthrough, all too often, these are seen as proof that effort has been wasted.
But effort is never wasted unless it ends in surrender.
What nature teaches us is that progress is cumulative. Every attempt carries experience. Every failure refines judgment. Every setback strengthens resilience. The mistake is not in trying and falling short; it is in allowing discouragement to resuscitate hopelessness and silence ambition.
Success, therefore, is not the absence of struggle. It is the discipline to rise after disappointment and move forward with renewed clarity. It is the courage to keep pushing when results are slow, and the wisdom to understand that growth is often invisible before it becomes evident.
Nigeria itself is a living testimony to this law. Despite decades of challenges, its people continue to innovate, trade, learn, and create.
Read Also:
Islamic Month of Rajab Holds Spiritual Significance but No Exclusive Worship, Says Kano Cleric
From roadside entrepreneurs to young professionals navigating uncertain futures, the Nigerian spirit reflects an unspoken commitment to persistence, even when the odds seem stacked.
If there is one word that defines survival, it is continue.
Continue after rejection. Continue after loss. Continue when the road seems unclear.
Continue with prayer, patience, and purpose. Because history, personal and national is shaped not by uninterrupted success, but by those who refused to stop.
Failure is not the end. Giving up is.