by Kala Hathorne
Have you ever failed at something in life not once but twice? You found yourself consumed, determined, and faithful towards a specific goal, but once again you came up short. As thoughts of discouragement consumed your mind, you started to entertain the idea of giving up. If you found yourself answering yes to the questions above you and I were once in the same boat.
What I have learned through experiencing failure is that failure is only final once you give up.
A couple of years ago, I found myself bound by the manifestation of failure in my life. It seemed as though my purpose in life was so far out of reach. And that the very thought of experiencing success was impossible. I failed my first year of college, and my finances were in a disarray. My personal relationships were hanging on by a thread. My overall quality of life declined drastically. The thought of picking up the pieces was too much to bear, so I became distracted and discouraged. I began to swim in the abyss of comparison.
Success is Never Ending and Failure is Never Final
Somewhere deep down inside of myself I knew that God had a purpose for me, but it seemed so far out of reach. I knew that there had to be something greater underneath the blanket of failure that heavily rested upon me. So, I mustered up the little courage that I had left and continued to press forward. Deciding to move on in spite of my shortcomings was difficult indeed, but in the end I knew it was necessary.
On my journey to press on, I discovered that just because you may have a rough start doesn’t mean you have to have a rough finish. So, many great leaders and game changers we recognize and celebrate today didn’t start out in the most ideal circumstances. Oprah Winfrey was not deemed fit for television by a producer on her first job, but that didn’t stop her from seeing her vision through. Michael Jordan, one of the most celebrated athletes in modern history was cut from his High School basketball team. Jordan’s persistence after he failed led to his setback becoming a setup for his greatest comeback.
So, remember that failure is the foundation to success. Failure is necessary, it is a teacher that we never stop learning from. Failure is a constant tool and reminder that we are on track towards something greater than ourselves.
As I conclude my message, I leave you with the words of the astute leader and motivator Les Brown in saying, “In life when you fall, fall on your back, because if you can look up then you can get up”. So, keep falling, keep rising, and in the midst of it all stay encouraged. Always remember that failure is never final.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu