Failure is not something to be feared, my fellow soul. It’s something to be celebrated. Failure is something to be
embraced, something to be encouraged. When we fail, we don’t fall, we learn yet another way not to do something.
In my mind, failure isn’t an act of defeat, it’s an act of trying, learning and growth. It’s an outcome of efforts made and information gathered. The owner of Spanx, Sarah Blakey, gave a brilliant account on Business Insider of her father’s teachings about embracing and celebrating failure, and look where she is now.
Stagnation is an act of complacency and fear – of being unaligned with your desire and passion, unsure of the correct steps to take next. Stagnation becomes dangerous for those who build a house there. This is the ultimate form of failure, not engaging or play at all.
There have been so many times I’ve “failed” in my past. I failed at becoming class president my Freshman year in Jr. High. Had I been too afraid to stand up and try, I would have never known I could stand shoulder to shoulder with some great leaders and speak in front of my peers.
I failed at making a local pro-cheer squad for the best team in the NFL, (biased I know, but my love for the Hawks goes deep and wide). Had I not even tried I would have never known my ability to become an extreme athlete, pushing my health and fitness to peak performance while pushing through a chronic injury. I would have missed out on a chance of a lifetime, having more fun than I could ever imagine or express, live in front of 25k+ people. In a two-piece none the less. Did I really fail? I didn’t make the team, but I stood next to amazingly gifted dancers and worked my ass off to put myself in the same category.
Had I failed to take a chance, I would have never traveled overseas alone with just a backpack and no plan. I would have moved onto my next job, next date, next day with no vibrancy, trust or faith. I would have stayed stuck. I would have let life pass me by. Instead, I came back with yet another experience of a lifetime and the knowledge this Universe really does have my back. I came back knowing I could do absolutely anything I put my mind and heart into.
Had I not gone to Europe alone, I may have never taken my private practice full-time with no capital, backing or savings to cover my butt. I would have kept the security and crutch of a part time job and never taken the leap off that proverbial ledge. I wouldn’t have known I could fly.
If I let my fear of failure stop me, I wouldn’t be sitting here in a cafe, writing this, loving my life to pieces knowing I really can have it all. I wouldn’t know and trust in the ability of God and the Universe to work everything out for my benefit. I wouldn’t know my ability to truly stand alone; successful, brave, trusting and true. It took guts. It took faith. It took trying and failing over and over and over again to know my limits, break them and try again to know I never actually failed at all. Each and every time I grew, I learned, I succeeded and I achieved.
It’s time we reinvent our definition of failure. It’s time we define failure as progress in the effort, in the growth, in the learning.
So fail, my dear. Fail often. Fail hard. Then dust yourself off, pick yourself up and try again. Who knows, you might just learn to fly.
If this resonates with you and you are interested in hypnosis or coaching with Erika, Renea Larsen, CHt., more information is available here for setting up a complimentary phone consultation.
Locally, Erika serves the Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue neighborhoods as well as nationally via Skype or phone.
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