How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

Failure.

Here’s a word that I love to hate.

Far be it from me to expound toxic positivity only, however.

So, what about failure?

I am quite familiar with the concept, especially when I was younger and felt I had to do everything for myself, by myself. Never asking for help. Other people telling me to ask for help, and it’s ok to ask for help, but for some reason just never giving in and simply asking.

I do think I’ve become better at this, but there is still that fear of being a burden to others, and needing to shoulder all or most of the responsibility.

That I must have all the answers, or something, like I really am that enlightened. 😂

Before I started my new job at the end of January, I went to my doctor just for a checkup before my insurance ran out. He said to me, “You just look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

And he was right.

He made me promise to take 2 weeks off before I started my new job.

(In reality, I probably should’ve taken a month. And thankfully, I am healthy otherwise).

I had to concede that my work was making me miserable, but that didn’t make me a failure.

I guess my thing with failure is, even if I screw something up, I’m not immune to trying again. It takes a lot out of me sometimes. To acknowledge said failure, to figure out what I could’ve done differently, and then put the time, energy, effort, and sometimes money – into trying again.

So what failures have I encountered in life that have ultimately led me to success?

Well, all of them.

I am not the same person I was yesterday, and I won’t be the same person tomorrow.

I am constantly learning, growing, changing, as are we all.

I work with many people who experience failure on a daily basis. And in that failure, you hope that they can see the light and start to understand what it is they need to do to be the change they so desperately need.

I haven’t had a failure yet that didn’t lead to something better in the long-term.

And if you’re a person that tells me you’ve never failed at anything in life – well then, you’ve got a set of problems I can’t help you with.

No one is perfect.

Failure is a part of life.

Failed jobs, failed relationships.

It’s what you do with the experience that will ultimately lead you down a more positive path.

Are you going to sit there and never try, ever again? In the same cycle, over and over?

Of course not, right?

And when you look back on how far you’ve come, and your success, you’ll be able to say, “Hey, I worked really hard for this. It wasn’t just handed to me on a silver platter.”

And you will appreciate it so much more than you’ll ever know.