Are You A Big Failure?

In general, we hate to fail.

When we experience failure, we tend to either hide it, wish it away, or – unfortunately – allow it to define us.

But what if we completely flipped this on its head? What if we embraced failure, knowing that it’s an absolute sign of growth, engagement, and living/working to the fullest?

I recently read an article featuring Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx and the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire. Apparently while growing up, her father would ask each night at the dinner table, “What did you fail at today?” If she or her siblings didn’t have a response, he was disappointed.

Why? Because if we’re not failing at anything, that means we’re not trying anything new. We’re not stretching out of our comfort zone, exploring all that life has to offer, embracing new opportunities for fun and fulfillment. 

If we’re not failing, we’re in a rut.

Failure can be beautiful. Yes, it may cause your cheeks to flush and your gut to tighten. But failure means so much more. 

It can remind us how courageous we are when we try new things. It can serve as an impetus to work smarter, harder, or differently. It can remind us that no matter our age, we are fresh and open to learning. We are embracing life!

And sometimes it helps to know that people we may admire – even so-called overnight successes – have experienced their share of failure. Michael Jordan, revered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, was cut from his high school team due to lack of talent. He went home and felt miserable for a while – then decided he wouldn’t let someone else’s judgment impede his passion. He literally upped his game and much of the world is thankful for it!

Or consider Oprah Winfrey, fired from one of her first jobs as a news anchor because she was “too emotional and unfit for TV.” She leveraged that experience to help her hone in on her passions, and flourished from there.

And think of the many authors who receive rejection after rejection after rejection. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen experienced over 150 rejections with their Chicken Soup For The Soul series, until finally a publisher said they’d “take a chance.” It’s now one of the bestselling series of all time.

Do you think failure hurt these folks? Of course it did; we’re only human, and being judged unfavorably affects us. But the bigger question is, did their failure define them? Did it prompt them to give up and assume they’d never succeed in basketball, on TV, in print? Absolutely not.

If anything, they failed forward. They fell down 5 times and got up 6.

Thomas Edison, who “failed” thousands of times when creating the lightbulb, once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

So congratulate your failure. Learn from your failure. Then keep putting yourself out there, fully embracing the opportunity to make a difference through your work, your life, and yes, even your failure.

How have you failed your way to success? What other success stories are prefaced with failures? 

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.