Fail to Succeed

If I could give my children an opportunity in life that would allow them to succeed I might choose failure. If I were to endow my child with a characteristic that would allow them to success it might be confidence.While this juxtaposition appears to be contradictory there is validity to both statements. As I talk to parents of children that are struggling with school a common theme of concern is loss of confidence. When a child struggles with traditional learning  a disengagement occurs, but when a child looses confidence a wall goes up that is difficult to take down.

It is interesting that as I was writing this article my wife came to me and brought up the possibility that one of our boys was just a little overconfident about himself. I had to smile because she had no idea that I was writing this article on this subject. When a child struggles with school one of the at risk characteristics is confidence. The personality of the child has a lot to do with this sense for certain. We can have a child that struggles that is oblivious to their difficulty or you may have a very sensitive child that is self critical no matter what their level of traditional success.

I can say that on a personal level it has been my failures that have motivated me the most in life. It is the concept that to learn to ride a bike we may need to fall down a few times that holds true. The other part of that equation though is that one needs to be confident enough to get back on that bike and have the courage to fail in order to succeed.  As an aside I think that too many parents try very hard to create a clear path for their children clearing obstacles out of their way not allowing them to fail and pick themselves back up. In the workforce I hear many an employer speak to the fact that employees of the current generation that are facing adversity in the workforce tend to change jobs rather that stick it out and find ways to be successful.  While my failures in life can sometimes haunt me I can find no greater motivational factor. I know I am speaking from a personal point of view but I have observed a consistency amongst my "successful" patients.

Taking on the challenge of hearing aids relative to a hearing loss can be a difficult task at times but I have concluded that some patients are destined to do well while others are doomed from the start. The factors for success or failure often have nothing to do with the hearing loss. I suggest that you can find two individuals with identical hearing losses of equal age and ability and yet one might fail while the other succeeds at finding better hearing.

Motivation and self awareness plays a large role for sure. One needs to be aware of their difficulty and have a perception of need before they can take on the challenge of finding success through the use of hearing aids. when a decision is made to try hearing aids there are other factors that also come into play that affect the success or failure of this endeavour. Those that have the expectation of immediate success, may or may not be ultimately successful but those who are willing to face adversity and even failure without loosing hope and without giving up often find success. I often say that a patient that wants success will find it. The patients process is one that has to allow the Audiologist to hear their challenges (and there will be some) and find solutions to those challenges. With today's technology so much is within the control of the Audiologist. Digital processors require the expert use of knowledge in order to access  optimal performance for the patient. I find myself having patients walk in my door having been unsuccessful with their hearing aids purchased in other places but after a listening to the patient voice their concerns and targeting their need adjustments can be made to give the patient a much better hearing experience. Prescribing technologically advanced equipment without the expert knowledge that enables one to meet the patients needs is an inefficient use of technology and quite frankly a waste of money.

The truth is that patients can have varied and different experiences when it come to trying to improve their hearing. What may be true for one may not be true for another. It would be ill advised to base your potential experience on the experience of another. People have varied losses, some with greater challenge and others with less.  As stated earlier the motivation of each individual can vary as well as self awareness. What can be true and should be true is that while your experience with hearing aids can vary  the approach of the clinic is one that should be consistent. A clinic with a good reputation is one that creates a patient experience that is consistently positive.