‘The only true failure lies in losing enthusiasm and giving up’ – JUGS Malta Director Josef Gafà

JUGS Malta Director Jose Gafà on Tuesday emphasised that one can only fail if they do not persist with a task and give up during the more difficult moments.

Work life is very stressful to many, and to business leaders, this is amplified even further, as aside from their own work, they also need to oversee what is happening across the business. This involves making the right decisions on the best way forward, and managing large teams filled with different personalities. Given the complexity of such situations, one cannot be immediately successful in every instance, and business leaders must strive to remain motivated to succeed.

Mr Gafà started off by referring to a quote by former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who had said: “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm”.

This is a quote that “resonates” with a memory Mr Gafà had from one of Business Leaders Malta’s annual conferences, where he researched the former Prime Minister to create a “captivating introduction”.

Mr Gafà has been a Director and Shareholder of JUGS Malta for more than 23 years, and he also occupies similar roles at YoYo Kids Malta, Business Leaders Malta, and Vibe FM.

“While I don’t intend to make sweeping generalisations, I believe it is inherent in human nature to despise failure,” he said.

“However, I have come to realise that embracing failure can lead to valuable lessons that propel us forward,” Mr Gafà continued. Learning to appreciate failure and understanding the key takeaways from each situation can have a substantial effect on how one perceives different challenges, turning them into opportunities.

He added: “The only true failure lies in losing enthusiasm and giving up.”

Mr Gafà remarked that instead of giving up, one has to “find joy in the process of failing, learning, and persisting”, understanding that it is ok to take breaks and recover when exhausted.

In this respect, it is also “crucial” to gather strength and “continue crawling” until one regains the ability to “walk” and eventually “run” towards their dreams yet again.