Hey, Failure! I No Longer Fear You

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

For most people, the answer to that question is simple: anything. We would take risks we wouldn’t normally take because the potential for reward is high and the risk of failure is low.

But what about when failure is a certainty? How do we embrace it then?

In an age where failure is seen as a bad thing, it can be difficult to change our mindset and see failure as an opportunity for growth. But that’s exactly what we need to do if we want to achieve our goals.

“Failure is not the opposite of success, it is a part of success.” — Arianna Huffington

In his book “The Lean Startup,” Eric Ries talks about the importance of embracing failure. He says that in order to create a successful business, you need to be able to learn from your failures and pivot your business in the right direction.

Ries isn’t the only one who believes this. Many successful people credit their success to their ability to embrace failure. Sir Richard Branson, for example, says that he has failed more times than he can count, but that those failures have made him stronger and more successful.

So, Why Is It Important to Embrace Failure?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Failure helps you gain perspective and makes you more empathetic.

Many people fail because they don’t properly understand what it is like to lose, or because they simply aren’t willing to experience the pain of losing after putting so much effort into winning. In that sense, failure can be a powerful teacher that shows you exactly how those who have been beaten by those who are successful feel. Empathy is typically thought of as an inherent trait that we’re born with, but if we learn from our failures, then maybe we can acquire empathy as a result of growth rather than birthright.

2. When you embrace failure, it makes success taste better.

The easiest way to fail is to not any risks at all. The easiest way to succeed is the same. The easiest path isn’t always the best one, though. Taking risks can be scary, but it’s also exhilarating. If you grew up without ever experiencing failure, then how will you know what success tastes like? Sometimes turning things around and getting back on track takes more effort than just giving up altogether, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing.

3. Failure makes success your own achievement rather than something handed down to you by others or taken away from someone else.

When you embrace failure and learn from your mistakes, there is no reason not to feel accomplished for what you’ve achieved because each step towards your goal is an accomplishment in itself. You didn’t achieve your goal overnight; you’ve been working towards it for a while, and that is a win in itself.

4. Failure gives you a chance to prove your resilience.

In her TED Talk “The Gift of Failure,” Dr. Jessica Lahey explains how one of the best ways we can prepare children for success is by teaching them to embrace failure. In order to truly be successful, you have to know what it feels like when things don’t work out — and then keep going anyway.

5. Failure helps you develop persistence and makes you more likely to achieve future goals.

Embracing failure lets you know what works and what doesn’t work in achieving a goal, which allows you to build up a sustainable that has a greater potential for success. Thomas Edison is a perfect example of this. He failed thousands of times before he created the lightbulb, but he didn’t give up because he knew that failure was just a stepping stone on the path to success.

6. Failure can help you find your passion in life.

Many people go through life without ever discovering their true passion. Failure can be one of the best ways to figure out what it is that you want to do with your life. When you’re trying something new and you fail, it doesn’t feel so bad because you know that you’re still trying — and that’s what counts.

7. Failure makes you humble and teaches you how to deal with disappointment.

No one likes to fail. It can be embarrassing, humbling, frustrating, or any other negative emotion you can think of — but it’s also a much-needed reminder to stay humble and not let life’s inevitable obstacles hold you back from achieving your goals. If failure taught us nothing else, it would at least teach us how to deal with disappointment.

8. Failure is an opportunity for growth and change.

When you feel like quitting because things are just too hard or the odds are stacked up against you, remember that this is an opportunity for growth . You know what they always say: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This isn’t always easy to hear when everything feels hopeless, but if anyone knows about resilience after failure it’s Charles Darwin.

9. Failure teaches us how to be better people in the future by warning us against repeating the same mistakes.

One of our least favorite things in life is admitting that we’ve made a mistake, but this is also one of the most useful things you can learn to do if you don’t want to repeat regrets in your future . According to Oprah Winfrey, “Failure is an opportunity for growth and change.” By looking into why something went wrong or didn’t work out, we can gain valuable insight into what keeps holding us back from achieving our goals — which means there’s no reason not to make another attempt at success because it will probably turn out differently next time. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get it right the third time around.

10. Failure is a natural part of life and something that we all experience.

No one is immune to failure, not even the most successful people in the world. But what makes them different is that they don’t give up after their first (or second or third) failure — they keep going until they achieve their goal. There’s no way to completely avoid failure, but you can certainly learn to embrace it so that it doesn’t have such a negative impact on your life. In short, failure isn’t as bad as it seems — and it can actually be a good thing. With that in mind, go out and Fail Forward!

Are You Ready to Embrace Your Failures?

So I invite you to take a step forward today: Do something scary, but remember it’s not failing unless you learn nothing from your experiences along the way. We all make mistakes. Rather than avoiding failure, embrace it and learn from it so that you can grow as a human being. Failure is something to be celebrated because without it there would be no success or growth possible in life. It’s also important to take the time to reflect on what I’ve done wrong when I fail, which will help me become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses so that I may improve for next time. What are some ways you’ve embraced your failures?