Does the thought of failure send a cold shiver down your spine? Failure is the thing most of us spend the greatest amount of energy trying to avoid. What is failure?
In reality, when you strip away all the emotions attached to the word, failure is only feedback. Failure means that we tried a strategy and it did not work. So what should we do? It's simple. We should try something else.
Human beings learn by failure, by understanding what does not work, and by continuing to adjust their strategies until they find out what does work. As young children, we were very familiar with "failure" when we were trying to learn how to walk. How many of us decided one day "Gee, the walking that those adults do looks pretty interesting. I think I'll do it too." and then we got up without a hitch and started walking. Hardly. All of us made countless attempts trying find out what to do so we could walk without constantly falling down. As we were learning to walk, we received constant support and praise from the adults in our lives to keep on trying.
Then somewhere down the line we were taught not to take risks, to play it safe, to only do what we knew would bring us success. We have been taught that if we try something and it does not work out as we planned, some terrible event will occur. People will point to us and say, "Look at him. He tried to do _______, but he failed." Oh the shame. So most people will play it safe and never strive to reach their full potential because they might (gasp) fail.
It is true that when we strive to do something that is new for us, we might fail. As a matter of fact, we might fail many times, but only by risking failure will we ever be able to grow. People might also remind us of our failures and tell us they knew it would not work. These people never fail because they never try to accomplish anything with their lives. If you are failing, at least you are doing something.
If you are failing, you are in great company. Most of the super achievers in history failed more often than anyone else. The difference is that they did not let the failure (or the negative comments from others) defeat them. They just continued to modify their strategies until they found what worked. They did not quit. They knew what they wanted and they did not give up until they achieved their goal. When Thomas Edison was attempting to discover the light bulb he was not met with much support from the scientific community. As a matter of fact, they thought he was crazy to try to invent something that was clearly impossible. A young reporter interviewed Edison and asked him, "Mr. Edison, how can you continue to try to invent the light bulb when you have failed over 5,000 times." To which Thomas Edison replied, "Young man, I have not failed 5,000 times. I have successfully discovered 5,000 ways that do not work and I do not need to try them again." This is a great way to interpret failure -- as a learning experience.
A powerful way to deal with failure is to ask yourself "What is or could be positive in this situation?" This allows you to obtain some benefit from the experience and then to move on. Very often, we achieve our greatest success right after we have experienced our worst defeat. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a published writer, although he had never achieved remarkable success in the field. Then in 1849, a turning point occurred in his life -- he lost his full time job. He dedicated the following year to writing The Scarlett Letter which became a classic novel in American Literature. Hawthorne turned a defeat into success.
The bottom line is that we should embrace "failure." Because if we are failing, we are learning; and if we are learning, we are growing. And growing is really what life is all about.
About The Author
Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires people to achieve greater success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to della@dellamenechella.com.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carSo...you might just believe I hide behind computers creating and... Read More
No, not that kind.Power and potential are synonymous. Your ultimate... Read More
Often when radical change occurs in our lives we feel... Read More
Occasionally people will ask me how I keep a positive... Read More
This week I happened to catch a few minutes of... Read More
Thank you is such a beautiful phrase. When you say,... Read More
There are only two emotions we can experience; love or... Read More
Last time we talked about how to begin building the... Read More
I've had several coaching clients come to me who, while... Read More
I thought this was fitting sense I just experienced a... Read More
Know your limits. Accept what you can't change and let... Read More
One of things that Charismatic people share is an unshakeable... Read More
So how do we find meaning? The first step is... Read More
Who are the Whiners? Whiners are the people who always... Read More
Everything exists twice. First, in your mind. Later, before you... Read More
We hear a lot these days about accepting responsibility for... Read More
Year after year I find more and more individuals saying... Read More
Changing your mindset can have a significant impact on achieving... Read More
Imagine what your life would be like if you could... Read More
Failure is my favorite subject. For I have spent my... Read More
It's time to put a bad rumor to rest right... Read More
I have had many confidence issues in my life, all... Read More
What is a paradigm? In my own words, a paradigm... Read More
The quality of your life is directly related to your... Read More
I AM SO GRATEFUL for meeting challenges head-on. We see... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..What is a paradigm? In my own words, a paradigm... Read More
Striving to improve our self esteem is on everybody's mind.... Read More
There are many dynamics that go into making a great... Read More
I will never forget an evening in 2003, when I... Read More
There is an old joke about a man who is... Read More
Ten tips to transform your move into a creative life... Read More
The other day one of my "challenging clients" and I... Read More
I just heard the story of a man who hired... Read More
One thing in life is certain---change. Things never stay the... Read More
"You Are My Sunshine My Only Sunshine You Make Me... Read More
"Where are your bananas?" It seemed like a logical question... Read More
During a Messenger chat session the other day, I asked... Read More
If you are a parent, it is up to you... Read More
Using an opponent's force against them is the fundamental teaching... Read More
Your mindset is a strong factor in achieving any type... Read More
How are you? Where do you get a positive attitude... Read More
One of things that Charismatic people share is an unshakeable... Read More
If we are the products of our attitudes then it... Read More
In frustration it's easy to jump to false conclusions that... Read More
Can you really plan a life-changing experience, or do they... Read More
It would be pretty hard to become successful without first... Read More
Gail's StoryGail is a friend of mine and she was... Read More
With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it would be especially appropriate... Read More
Music penetrates our mental barriers and influences the deepest areas... Read More
So people will reject us no matter how good we... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |