A guest blog by Kristal Marie:
"I have just started this new project. I am so excited; I have so many great ideas. I really hope it fails!"
Said no one ever...
Nobody sets out to fail, but it happens. The reality is if you desire to be successful you are going to fail at some point. Yes, failures are tough lessons, but they are also invaluable. The key to finding value in your failures is not to settle at failure's feet. Rather, if you learn from it, your failure is only one step along your path to success.
What Failure Taught Me
What failure really is
Failure is nothing more than the omission of expected or required action. This is the literal definition. Failure is not the end unless you settle. You tried something and your expectation was not met. It is not over; it just means you try something else. Pick yourself up and try the next thing.
Failure encourages change
When you fail at something, you quickly realize that you need to change, your expectation, your process or sometimes both. Far too often we resist change, because change puts us outside our comfort zone. It took me many years to learn to embrace change.I avoided change like it was the plague. But, I have learned that change, in reality, is a good thing. Yes, it puts me outside of my comfort zone, but without change I can never improve. Improving life necessitates some kind of change. So it is when you fail. Unless you settle for your failure, you will change something, and that change will lead to improving you or your circumstances.
Failure causes growth
Here's the thing, success is great but the truth is, we don’t grow through our successes, we grow through our failures. When we are successful at something, we keep doing it over and over again. You don’t fix something that is not broken. But when we fail, it gives us an opportunity to learn new things to grow stronger and persevere through our failure. We learn to combat our fears and keep swimming forward.I was listening to an interview with Mary Shenouda, founder of the wildly successful Paleo Chef website and Phat Fudge. Shenouda was asked, “What if plan A doesn’t work out?” Her response was simply, “Sharks don’t swim backwards.” That attitude has made her the success she is today. No matter what obstacles or failures you encounter, like the shark, you keep swimming forward. Have this mind set, and your failures will propel you forward.
Think of Michael Jordan, referred to as the best basketball player of all time. Guess what. He was cut from his high school basketball team.Thankfully, for millions of basketball fans, he did not settle for this failure. Jordan has said of his own career, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Failure creates new opportunities
When something works for us, we tend to stick with it. It is not very often that we go out looking for new opportunities when things are going well. But when we fail we will encounter new and better opportunities. We can be so busy saying ‘yes’ to every little opportunity because we are afraid to fail, that we miss better opportunities.Did you know that Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start his own business? No, it was not Microsoft. He started a business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. Never heard of it? I am not surprised. The business was a complete failure. But this failure created the opportunity to create the global empire that is Microsoft.
Failure forces reflection
A failure is an opportunity for personal reflection on your goals and what you are doing to achieve them. Ask yourself, “Am I doing what I should be doing? Is there something I could do differently that would suit me better? What other avenues can I pursue?”Often, when we stop and reflect on a failure, we see the failure occurred because there is something better suited for us.
Do not be afraid to change and do something differently. It is your failures that lead to your ultimate success when you don’t settle at failures feet. Learn the lessons uniquely provided by your failures and enjoy your new opportunities you are sure to encounter on your path to success.
Gifs from Google images
About the author:
I’m Kristal Marie. I blog at www.itsmyfavoriteday.com where I aim to inspire you to make each day your favorite day, whether by encouraging a simple frugal life, new ways to manage your time, and pursue your goals. I am all about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
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53 comments
Love this Lux! Have a beautiful week!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteWonderful guest post, Lux! Very inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, viewing things in a new perspective often inspires us to keep going!
DeleteHey Lux and Kristal ... what a needed reminder that failure is not the end, but an opportunity for growth and creative change ...
ReplyDeleteYes, yes!
Thank you Linda, I am so glad it encouraged you!!
DeleteThis is a wonderful post, so inspiring
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine, I am happy you found it inspiring
DeleteYes, don't let failures define you! These are great reminders.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jayson, I think reminders help us keep pushing forward!
DeleteGreat post! Failure is tough to deal with, but what's important to learn from it and make it an opportunity to grow!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tamago,
DeleteYes failures are tough, but our mindset can make all the difference ;)
Excellent post. When we fail we need to dust ourselves off and try again.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Thanks so much Sandee
DeleteExcellent write-up
ReplyDeleteLovely post dear! Have a great week! xx
ReplyDeletevery interesting post dear
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know your opinion on my new post
----> fashion blogger italia
have an happy day
kiss
This is a great and motivational post in a way. Failure definitely points us in the right direction.
ReplyDeletehttp://missymayification.blogspot.co.uk
I am so glad it encouraged you!
DeleteThank you for the beautiful words Kristal! Failure is never the end but always a beginning. Great points on how to embrace failure and move forward. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words!
DeleteThere are lessons in failures. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome Grace!
DeleteFailure is the mother of success; those who have never failed, never tried. They have failed even before they start.
ReplyDeleteWise words, thank you!
DeleteHi, Lux! Hi, Kristal Marie!
ReplyDeleteThis piece was written with clarity and wisdom and it inspired me. The old thinking was as follows. "What is the worst thing that can happen? I fail." The new thinking is as follows. "What's the worst thing that can happen? I fail, I do not learn from it and I accept it." Champion salesman and motivator Zig Ziglar told us a story about a door-to-door salesman. Every time a potential customer slammed the door in his face he became elated rather than demoralized, because he knew that failure brought him one step closer to success - the customer that welcomed him in, allowed him to do his demonstration and bought his product.
Thanks, Lux and Kristal Marie!
So true, thank you for sharing that Zig Ziglar story!
DeleteIn a lot of ways we do learn more from failing than succeeding indeed
ReplyDeleteYes, Pat and when we learn something are failures are no longer failures :)
DeleteWise words. We must not let the fear of failure prevent us from trying.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mun!
DeleteI keep being led to the positives of failure lately. I think someone is trying to tell me something ;). Thank you for this beautiful encouragement. I completely agree with these important points.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy it encouraged you Candace.
DeleteAmen to this! It is in the failures we develop the most precious of all gifts; perseverance. Quick success leads to ultimate failure. Slow sustained perseverance is the foundation for true success. The lumps that break most people, doesn't begin to effect the foundation that is built on perseverance and pushing through failures.
ReplyDeleteGood one.
Thank you for those wise words Floyd. It reminds me of the quote: "it takes 10,000 hours to become an overnight success"
DeleteThis was a really well written and full of truth article. I enjoyed it and kept nodding my head in agreement! Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sandy!!
DeleteI really like that definition (the literal definition) of failure, and I never thought of it that way. That's a game-changer. Thank you, Lux.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week.
I know, the definition is straight from the dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/failure. It's all about having the right perspective ;)
Deletefailures indeed teaches a lot..thanks for such an inspirational post :)
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Purva. I am glad it inspired you!
DeleteAmazing post, I love it, thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeletexxx
www.noragouma.com
You are so welcome, I am glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteWell written. We all learn improved from our failures.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a good read!! <3
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kyroandstyle.com
It most certainly has taught me to work harder and change for the better. Beautiful thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a strengthening and encouraging post. And all of them are such valid statements. I've been through failure recently, and I feel as if I have only come out on top. Let's hope what I do supports this as well.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great attitude and attitude really is everything!
ReplyDeleteI love this! Thanks to both of you for sharing it! I often say failure isn't final, it's just a detour - enjoy the new scenery!
ReplyDelete@spreadingJOY
Marie
spreading-joy.org
Life is often full of failures of some sort. As kids, we don't always win the spelling bee, or win the ball game. We do learn and improve. Thank you for your awesome post and for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
ReplyDeleteYou have penned this topic so beautifully Kristal. Loved reading the complete post. I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that, failure is my favorite word; because I was a failure in my past, but have learned to stand straight and to reach for my dream after failing numerous times. I love writing on this topic anytime!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such an amazing write-up.
xo
www.thepositivewindow.com
Failure is a way of life and it should be seen as the end of it! I love the advice in here especially how even someone as successful as Bill Gates failed. It inspires me to keep going and changing into a successful person!
ReplyDeletePearls Kristal
ReplyDeleteYou speak from a heart that has learnt to step from mountain top to mountain top, yes there are valleys but they are for learning - discovering, they are not the destination.
Loved your post.