Reading Reflection No. 2

I chose to read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. The general theme of this very humorous, informative, uplifting, and genuine book is to look at small or not so small failures as opportunities to learn and grow. Everything that happens to us in life is making us stronger, more intelligent, and positioning us for different and possibly better situations in the future. He does an excellent job of combining humor and his own personal setbacks to inspire others to never give up or settle for what is right in front of us.

The number one connection I made between this book and what we are learning in class is perseverance. Some of the exercises in ENT 3003 have been draining and downright difficult to complete. They have even left me feeling pretty miserable about my competency and intelligence. However, I know I need this class to earn my Bachelor’s Degree and so I push on. I am learning new things and testing my comfort zone to become a better person in the end. Scott discusses how learning multiple skills is far more beneficial than being a master of one. He shares numerous setbacks and failed attempts at success that helped create what he is today. We must persevere, and enjoy the journey of learning. So far, I am accumulating my own list of failures and setbacks that will hopefully culminate into a prosperous future.

The exercise I would recommend for future ENT 3003 students is to create a list of what they believe to be personal failures and setbacks they have experienced in their life up to this point. It will feel pretty terrible at first, but then I would ask each person to reflect on what they learned from that experience and how it has changed their thinking and actions in the present. Scott’s extensive list of failures helps break the stigma of failing in general, and is uplifting to see how much stronger we can become after dealing with a setback.

My biggest ‘aha’ moment of the book, which probably should not have been that big of a surprise, was learning that Scott Adams was embedded into corporate America for sixteen years. I often read the Dilburt comics and thought how spot on some of the strips were with what was going on in my job environment, but never knew he was drawing from actual experience. The acronyms, business speak, and office interactions were all learned on the job and became valuable resources to him later in life.

This is a really good book, and a great way to look at all of life’s experiences as building blocks to a better self.