The stigma of failure, in all aspects of our lives, has led to many giving up on aspirations and dreams. This is nothing new to our society.
When we read success stories, we seldom get the scoop on failures. Just as with failures, we usually don't get the success or positives involved. This is unavoidable as we, as a society, fail to look at an issue or person from a neutral perspective.
We have heard the stories of the failures of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, and many others. What makes these stories stand out is their ability to overcome failure and refusal to allow society to stigmatize them as failures.
Failure is Acceptable:
Will Smith states it best: “You've gotta take a shot, you have to live at the edge of your capabilities. You gotta live where you're almost certain you're going to fail. Failure helps you to recognize the areas where you need to evolve. So fail early, fail often, fail forward.”
Failure is acceptable! It allows us to regroup and refocus.
Failure builds Character:
This takes away may seem a bit cliché, but true. Michael Jordan, one of the NBA greats, failed to make his high school basketball team. He used his failures to better himself.
By overcoming obstacles and failures, we instill the character needed to achieve.
Failure instills Courage
Most people are scared of failure. Many are unwilling to take the uncertain path; we’d just prefer to stay in the same boat and not rock it too much. In short, failure requires courage.
Failure Teaches Perseverance
Failure makes us want to roll over and give up. It takes guts and determination to keep driving forward. Take J.K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling received "loads" of rejection letters over five years before finding a publisher for one of the most successful books and movie series to date.
Failure teaches Resilience
Failure teaches and strengthens resilience. Through the discomfort and uncertainty of failure, we are better able to take on many challenges as they come. Resilience is required of all successful people, and the better teacher of resilience is a failure.
I want to leave you with one quote that summarizes this blog beautifully: “You build on failure. You use it as a steppingstone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” - Johnny Cash.
If you need assistance processing or recovering from a failure, please contact me. I bring deep and functional expertise by practicing a holistic approach to focus on systemic relationships of strategy, processes, organizations, and people to achieve sustainable success and achieve growth.
www.stevehchristopher.com
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