Extract from Johnny McSneed Always Fails to Succeed

Some say there is a secret when they talk about success.
Others claim there is no tip that will guarantee progress,
That life’s a lucky dip and you have to take a guess.  

I say there is a way to keep improving every day.
And it isn’t any secret. If you’re seeking to impress,
Or you wish to be a winner, then you must begin to lose,
That’s how you can excel the most at whatever thing you choose.  

It’s not enough to get things right, your dreams will not take flight,
Without mistakes, but with some errors maybe they just might.  

Nor is talent what it takes, you won’t get the biggest breaks,
Just because you’re born with natural aptitude, or flair.
Without some screw-ups you won’t be going anywhere.
It’s a paradox, I guess, that you won’t succeed unless,
You make some big mistakes. That’s your ticket to success.      

From tennis to croquet, or from football to ballet,
If you drop the ball or blow it, you’ll soon be making hay.
Whatever goal you have in mind, mistakes will always pay.

My aim pertained to paper planes, and how to make them fly.
I wished to be a famous kind of record-breaking guy.
And so began my mission, my unrestrained ambition:
To fly my plane the furthest and beat the competition ...