We’ve turned failure into a dirty word.
We’ve equated it with a feeling of shame or embarrassment. What if I told you that failure is not an obstacle to success, but a necessity? That you should be embracing failure instead of fearing it?
If you want to create change in your life, you must step out of your comfort zone. Let’s say you want to find a new job. You apply, you interview and then you don’t get the job. You failed. What are you making it mean? If you decide it means you’re incompetent, then you’re going feel shame and quit searching.
On the flip side, if you decide it’s just another step closer toward completing your goal, you’re going to keep applying to jobs until you find one.
Failure is just a learning opportunity.
I like to think of failure in terms of a science experiment. Did you know it usually takes between 10 and 15 years to develop a new vaccine? If scientists gave up after the 1st, 2nd or 3rd trial, vaccines wouldn’t exist. They don’t see each failure as a sign they should quit. They use it as a learning experience; a stepping-stone toward success.
There is no successful person alive who has not failed at some point. They just didn’t use it as an excuse to quit. They failed, they learned, and they kept going. I’m not saying it was easy or without disappointment, shame or embarrassment. Even if it’s hard, it’s ok, because you can do hard things.
The next time you notice you’re afraid of failing, do it anyway.
