While many people strive to achieve success, others go to great lengths to avoid failure. But success doesn’t come without the lessons from failure. Instead of allowing failure to define us, we might consider what it can teach us. If we’re open to these lessons, we may discover resilience and an identity that goes beyond our accomplishments.
Embracing Failure as Part of the Process
Failure isn’t something to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Think about how we learned to walk as babies. We had to fall and get back up many times before we could walk confidently. As adults, we sometimes forget that learning anything new takes time, effort, and making mistakes. Too often, we put pressure on ourselves to be perfect because we’re afraid to fail. But failure is essential to growth. It’s how we learn, adapt, and improve.
The Power of Getting Back Up
How many times are you willing to get back up? The answer to this question is an indication of your resilience. The road to success has never been described as easy. However, if we persevere through the challenges, mistakes, judgments, and failures, we can ultimately reach success. Perfection isn’t the key to success; perseverance is. Your resilience will determine how successful you can become.
Resilience > Approval
We often don’t take risks because we are afraid to fail. If we fail, we believe people will judge us. While being judged doesn’t feel great, it doesn’t define who we are. In fact, taking risks shows courage and confidence. Although success is something we can be proud of, our identity is not limited to what we accomplish. We are still capable even in failure. We are still worthy even if people judge us.
Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones
If you want to be successful in life, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure doesn’t define us; it’s how we respond to it that matters. One common trait among many successful people is resilience. Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, and Michael Jordan didn’t allow failure to hold them back. In fact, they allowed it to push them forward. By having the courage to fail and the strength to persevere, you can also become successful.