--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Definition of failure - wishful sinking!" description: "\"“Definition of failure - wishful sinking!”\" — Stephen Richards" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg" --- # Definition of failure - wishful sinking! ![“Definition of failure - wishful sinking!” quote by Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg) > ““Definition of failure - wishful sinking!”” [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failure is defined as sinking into wishful thinking without action, leading to unfulfilled goals. **In simple terms:** Failure is wishful thinking without action. Key Takeaway Turn wishes into concrete steps. Themes failure wishful thinking action Mood determined inspired Type practical motivational When to use this quote - project planning - habit formation - coaching Key Concepts goal setting motivation self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What wishful thoughts hold you back? - How can you convert desire into measurable steps? A Different Perspective Dreams without effort remain dreams. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Definition Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-failure-1392384/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Wishful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-wishful-2823395/) [Sinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinking/) [Stephen-richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stephen-richards/) [Wishful Sinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishful-sinking-2823394/) ## Related quotes > [When I was growing up, my dad would encourage my brother and I to fail. We would be sitting at the dinner table and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-blakely/when-i-was-growing-up-my-dad-would-encourage-my-brother-and-i-to-fail/) [Sara Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-blakely/) > [“An event in which you did not achieve your desired outcome (definition of failure).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-k-scott/an-event-in-which-you-did-not-achieve-your-desired-outcome-definition/) [Steven K. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-k-scott/) > [The essence of man is imperfection. Failure is simply a price we pay to achieve success. If we learn to embrace that new definition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-essence-of-man-is-imperfection-failure-is-simply-a-price-we-pay/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [“When you truly love yourself, you do not accept abusive relationships, because you know you deserve better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-truly-love-yourself-you-do-not-accept-abusive-relationships/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“It so happens that at times your desires tend to disagree with the reality and this is due to the fact that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-so-happens-that-at-times-your-desires-tend-to-disagree-with-the/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When you concentrate your energy purposely on the future possibility that you aspire to realize, your energy is passed on to it and makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-concentrate-your-energy-purposely-on-the-future-possibility/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Everything we could possibly want or need is there for the taking, but we are blinded by fears of lack and limitation, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/everything-we-could-possibly-want-or-need-is-there-for-the-taking-but/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“To be happy, make others happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-be-happy-make-others-happy/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When we focus our thoughts on something, we resonate with it. When that resonance is constant and directed, we draw it to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-we-focus-our-thoughts-on-something-we-resonate-with-it-when-that/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Anger is the fire of the soul, love is the language of the heart ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/anger-is-the-fire-of-the-soul-love-is-the-language-of-the-heart/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Jedi are always assessing situations, actions and possibilities. Jedi don’t just think outside of the box with the help from the Force, they also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/jedi-are-always-assessing-situations-actions-and-possibilities-jedi/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When you accomplish the impossible then you can achieve anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-accomplish-the-impossible-then-you-can-achieve-anything/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Even though your thinking might not be right for others, just so long as it's right for you then that's all what matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/even-though-your-thinking-might-not-be-right-for-others-just-so-long/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Learn to forgive others so that you can release yourself from being held captive by the very negative thoughts around you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/learn-to-forgive-others-so-that-you-can-release-yourself-from-being/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## More by Stephen Richards > [“Use ‘Why?’ to help you follow the breadcrumbs back to the source of the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/use-why-to-help-you-follow-the-breadcrumbs-back-to-the-source-of-the/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Learn to forgive others so that you can release yourself from being held captive by the very negative thoughts around you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/learn-to-forgive-others-so-that-you-can-release-yourself-from-being/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“It’s a red sky every night with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-s-a-red-sky-every-night-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Even though your thinking might not be right for others, just so long as it's right for you then that's all what matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/even-though-your-thinking-might-not-be-right-for-others-just-so-long/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When you accomplish the impossible then you can achieve anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-accomplish-the-impossible-then-you-can-achieve-anything/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Just as the universe is in constant flux, so too are we in constant change, and we must accept that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/just-as-the-universe-is-in-constant-flux-so-too-are-we-in-constant/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Jedi are always assessing situations, actions and possibilities. Jedi don’t just think outside of the box with the help from the Force, they also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/jedi-are-always-assessing-situations-actions-and-possibilities-jedi/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Good thoughts can become reality with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/good-thoughts-can-become-reality-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Defeat the warriors of patience and time with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/defeat-the-warriors-of-patience-and-time-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“If you are in a prison of fear ... break out!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/if-you-are-in-a-prison-of-fear-break-out/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Some people pray for miracles ... with Cosmic Ordering YOU manifest them!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/some-people-pray-for-miracles-with-cosmic-ordering-you-manifest-them/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“The future never happens; there will always be a future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-future-never-happens-there-will-always-be-a-future/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Anger is the fire of the soul, love is the language of the heart ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/anger-is-the-fire-of-the-soul-love-is-the-language-of-the-heart/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When we focus our thoughts on something, we resonate with it. When that resonance is constant and directed, we draw it to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-we-focus-our-thoughts-on-something-we-resonate-with-it-when-that/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) [Explore all 549 Stephen Richards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Definition of failure - wishful sinking!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Richards" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/stephen-richards-446_failure_definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking-10_1091418.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Definition of failure - wishful sinking!” — Stephen Richards", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stephen Richards", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Definition of failure - wishful sinking!”", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/definition-of-failure-wishful-sinking/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```