failure is not an option

Posted by e. (New York, NY, United States) on 31 August 2007 in Art & Design.

I wanted to share this tattoo with the am3 community, because of what it means to the guy who got it. He's a close friend of one of my best friends, and I met him a few days ago.

He told me that "Failure is not an option" does not only extend to failing classes, or failing sports. Failure, to him, is failing to be a good person, failing to do what you believe is right, failing to be loyal and strong for your family. Family, for him, is the most important value in the world, and he must never fail them, especially when he marries and has children.

The sun that largely dominates the tattoo is a throwback to the phrase "the sun on your shoulders." It's to remind him that even on rainy days, or terrible days, the sun is always on his shoulders, so he can keep looking at life optimistically and keep working towards his goals.

While talking to him about this, I thought to myself that this person is incredibly strong. To constantly remind himself to never fail himself and his family, and to keep working, dreaming, and believing is a philosophy everyone should have.

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Photo taken in Washington DC on August 29, 2007.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. - Albert Einstein

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. - Shawshank Redemption