If you’re like most
people, you probably have a bad relationship with failure. You see it as an
ending, as proof that your plan didn’t succeed or your ideas weren’t good
enough. The truth is, failure happens to everyone. The only thing that
separates people who succeed from those who don’t is a proper understanding of
the power of failure. Success requires that you learn from mistakes and
missteps along the way rather than falling into despair and giving up. Pay
attention to the information here, especially if you’re at a place where
failure isn’t your friend, and you will find that opportunity lies in every
defeat. Here are 3 reasons why failure is the key to success. (more after the cut)
1. Failure is a Function of Trying
The best way to
measure your progress at something is the number of setbacks and “failures”
you’ve had. If you haven’t failed yet, chances are you aren’t trying very hard.
Failure is the blacksmith’s hammer that tempers the sword of success. If you
want to get really good at something, you have to fail at least a few times.If
you look at all the great men and women throughout history, you’ll notice that
they had one main thing in common. They failed, and they failed often. Think of
Thomas Edison. How many times did he fail to find the right filament for his
light bulb? There are various estimates, but they all range in the ballpark of
a whole heck of a lot. Henry Ford knew of failure intimately. So much so
that he is quoted for saying the following: “Failure is the opportunity to
begin again, more intelligently.”Clearly, failure represents opportunity and
growth, not deficit and loss.
2. Success Lies in Seeing Failure as a
Tool
Just as all the
greats have something in common, so too do the true “failures” of life: their
inability to use failure as a tool. When you feel that sinking, desperate
sensation known as failure and you take it to heart, you diminish yourself. You
give your power away to an external event. Success is about learning how to
recognize why you failed, and how you’re going to compensate for
it.I find it helpful to ask myself the following questions upon failures, big
and small. What brought about the failure?How much of it is in my realm of
influence?How can I use my influence to turn failure into success?What steps do
I need to go through to try again?What can I do every day to ensure
that my next try is done more intelligently?You may want to get out a piece of
paper and go through that list. Be completely open and honest as you ask
yourself each question. Analyze your answers carefully and implement them –
don’t procrastinate! Remember, failure is an opportunity, not a burden. Be
grateful for a chance to grow.
3. Failure Builds Character
If you look at the
events leading up to any significant victory, you’ll often discover failure as
the biggest motivator. Just as the Colorado River created the Grand Canyon over
a period of millions of years, success can also come in small chunks, and
they’re part of any winning strategy. On the other hand, waiting years upon
years for something to happen isn’t effective when you can take action now. So
what do you need to consistently test yourself and learn from failed attempts?
Character. Success occurs in leaps and bounds for people who are ready for it.
To genuinely create value, day in and day out, requires determination, purpose,
and most of all, that subtle yet all-important trait known as character.
Failure is a far better character builder than any affirmation or fleeting
goal. While each success will propel you by a small amount, failure will forge
your career – and your personality – like nothing else will. It’s the
difference between a natural lake being formed over thousands of years and a
man-made lake coming into fruition in under a year.
Success takes
willpower, intelligence, determination, and grit. But more than anything else,
it requires failure. Use this is an opportunity to reassess your relationship
to the true key to success that so many people fear. DON'T GIVE UP!!!
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