FAILURE: the path to success

The portrait the mind paints of FAILURE is dismal! Lately I have been reading, teaching and hearing so much about the positive effects of failure. I have, however, been intrigued by the feelings and outward reactions that people give to even the word itself. Especially our intelligent & talented young people!

We must not be afraid to fail; failure IS the pathway to success! I say this with conviction, because I am not immune to the same feelings and need of reminders. I GET IT! I currently have a big goal staring me down about 1/2 mile ahead of me on my path of life. The only reason I have not met this milestone is because I was too afraid I would fail. It seemed unreachable! With a little help & guidance from my best friend, I am moving toward that goal swiftly! I won't say there is not a little fear of failure, but I accept this as normal and necessary to get where I want to be!

Failure is a normal part of life, but it does take some getting used to. Engage in it! Think of something that you really want to do and take a small step in that direction. Know & understand that you may fail, be ready to embrace it, question what you learned in the process and try again or try something new.

Jia Jiang gave a great Ted Talk on Rejection Therapy. I found it quite entertaining because he presents a real "fear of failure" or rejection, as he puts it, that people experience on a regular basis and can relate to! I have always loved that he practices getting used to this feeling. Watch it here!

If you know stories of failure that have led to success, I ask that you remind yourself of them and if you get the chance, share them with a young person!