Failure is a Part of Success

One of my favorite quotes about failure is, “Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s a part of it.”

A lot of people think that failure is the opposite of success, when in fact, it is a vital part of success.

I can think of countless times in my life and in my work where I’ve forgotten this very important fact (and still do from time to time).

The thing is, I have a bit of a perfectionist streak in me – I fall into the trap of thinking that I need to get it right all the time, otherwise, that must mean that “I’m not good enough.” There have often been times that I’ve even allowed these thoughts to keep me from moving forward.

Whenever I find myself in one of these moments, I remind myself of the “famous failures” poster: You know the one, where it lists some of the most successful people in the world - people like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, The Beatles and Oprah Winfrey, just to name a few - and the failures they faced?

Think about this for a second: Imagine if those people allowed those failures to keep them from moving forward? Imagine how different things would be if their gifts weren't shared with the world because they allowed failure to keep them stuck?

Thankfully, their failures didn’t stop them. Instead, they kept going despite those bumps in the road - and the rest is history.

It is stories like these that inspire me to keep going – but it doesn’t come without some practice.

In fact, it has taken LOTS of practice and work to shift my perspective, but thanks to the support of my loved ones as well as coaches and mentors, along with the tools I’ve acquired through that support (as well as years of study in mind/body integration and other modalities to better understand why I have these tendencies to begin with), it has opened up the opportunity to give myself permission to make mistakes and understand that “failure is not the opposite of success”, but rather “a part of it.”

I remind myself that it is in those failures that I get to learn & gain experience and use those failures as tools to refine my craft & choose differently in the future.

It's important to remember that any long-term endeavor inevitably comes with failures and bumps in the road; it’s what we do next that makes a difference.

Of course, it’s natural to strive for excellence and do our best in our endeavors – it’s when the fear of making a mistake paralyzes us from moving forward that gets us into trouble.

So, instead of letting failures keep you from moving forward or thinking you’re not “good enough” (spoiler alert, you ARE good enough), understand that they are a part of the process and use them as learning opportunities.

Don't allow the fear of failure keep you from sharing your gifts and deprive those around you (and yourself!) of the amazingness that resides within you.

And remember, failures aren’t the end unless we decide they are.

Photo cred: The Blowup via Unsplash