Is Failure Your Friend or Foe?

​​I’m in a reading mode. Last week the minister at my church talked about a book called Failing Forward by John Maxwell. It caught my attention. Failure has always been something I’m not very fond of. You probably aren’t crazy about it either. Yet I know it’s an important element for learning and growing. So I picked up the book at the library.

I wasn’t disappointed. The book is filled with practical advice, plenty of food for thought and stories of people who failed miserably and went on to be achievers. It’s well worth the read!

Click to purchase on Amazon

Desire to Be Teachable
Near the beginning of the book, Mr. Maxell states: “No matter how difficult your problems were, the key to overcoming them doesn’t lie in changing your circumstances. It’s in changing yourself. That in itself is a process, and it begins with a desire to be teachable. If you’re able to do that, then you’ll be able to handle failure.” Wow!

A Wise Way to Think
Maxwell goes on to say that mistakes pave the road to achievement. Our job as leaders is to keep mistakes in perspective. The author offers us a pretty wise way to think about mistakes. They are:

• M essages that give us feedback about life.
• I nterruptions that should cause us to reflect and think.
• S ignposts that direct us to the right path.
• T ests that push us toward greater maturity.
• A wakenings that keep us in the game mentally.
• K eys that we can use to unlock the next door of opportunity.
• E xplorations that let us journey where we’ve never been before.
• S tatements about our development and progress.

Failure is something I’ve tried to avoid like the plague. The problem with that kind of thinking is that it takes a lot of energy focused on trying not to fail and keeping my act together. Quite frankly it’s probably more stressful than the failure itself. 

An Inside Job
I’m actively changing my relationship with failure and realizing it truly is an inside job. As I come to terms with failure being a part of success, I’m lightening up on myself and those around me. 

It’s not the end of the world to fail. It’s only the end of the world if I act like it will be. And where’s the fun and joy in that? There’s already enough pressure and stress in the world. I don’t need to be adding any more to it.

I’m interested in knowing your experience with failure and how you relate to it. What stories will you share with me?
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"I don't understand a way to work other than 
bold-facedly running towards failure."

~ Cate Blanchett

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"I was afraid of being a failure, of not having the best time or of being chicken, 
but every year I get older I think, 'What was I fearing last year?' 
You forget. And then you move on."

~ Sandra Bullock

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"My story of success and failure is not just about music and being famous. 
It's about living and loving and trying to find purpose in this crazy world."

~ Wynnona Judd

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"Success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal."

~ Mike Ditka

Have a great week!