I’d like to start this post off by saying something that’s been on my mind lately. I’ve been thinking about the times in my life where I’ve felt like I’d failed. Failure is an inevitable part of our journey. Failure can be a blessing in disguise, or a heavy burden on the days that seem tougher than the rest. I used to fear failure like it was something I could avoid if I tried hard enough. If I just put in the right amount of effort, if I gave something my absolute best, I’d be able to avoid failure. The truth is, it doesn’t work like that.
IF YOU CAN’T AVOID IT, EMBRACE IT
There are many days where I feel like a failure. Whether it’s from a job I didn’t land, feeling like a failure in my creative projects, or with my goals- it happens. It happens a lot. If you’re wondering what I’m trying to get at here, it’s this. Through every failure that I’ve endured, there has always been a new opportunity awaiting on the other side. When I was no longer dwelling on what I felt like I had missed out on, I finally began to see the blessings my failures brought me.
PROTECT YOUR ENERGY
Recently, I’ve thought about my energy. Rather than acting out in anger or frustration when something doesn’t go my way, I’ve been thinking about how I can protect my energy instead. Lately, I’ve learned to take my failures and the bad days lightly rather than let them weigh so heavily on my shoulders. We react the most harshly and negatively to something when we take it personally. We feel like we’ve been wronged or we take on all of the responsibility and blame when something doesn’t go the way we expected it to. I’m definitely guilty of this. Try to channel your energy into learning a lesson or finding a way to grow from the experience, rather than reacting emotionally or against yourself. Your energy is valuable, so protect it at all costs.
KEEP GOING
If you’re dealing with setbacks, challenges or failures, chances are that it means you’re doing something. You’re working towards something and you’re inevitably going to struggle on your way there. Keep going. The only regrets I’ve ever had were those of not pushing through with something until the end because it got too hard. Have you ever truly regretted pursuing something, even if it didn’t work out? Welcome the failures and setbacks with open arms, because it means you’re doing something right, and there’s only growth from where you are.
HOW DO YOU FAIL WITH GRACE?
To me, failing with grace means to let go of anger, disappointment and resentments. I used to react to setbacks and challenges out of emotions (sometimes, I still do). Now, I put in every effort I have into acting with grace. I acknowledge my mistakes, take responsibility for them, and then seek out the lesson within them so that I can move on. That’s what failing with grace means to me.
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
Plain and simple, life is too short. Life is too short to dwell on your shortcomings, to not feel confident in your own skin, and to give up before you’re finished. Whenever I look at the bigger picture; life is short and this might be my only chance to do this I realize how lucky I am to have the opportunity to even pursue my goals. So, fail with grace. Be grateful for the lesson within the chaos and move on towards greater things.
Do you have any experiences with failure and how you dealt with it? Share your stories below, I’d love to hear from you!
