What should you do when you feel like a failure? Can failure lead to success? Find out how you can ensure that you not only learn from failure but ultimately find success.
Many people experience failure every day but few ever want to admit it. Pride is the biggest reason so many of us will not admit our shortcomings. Life is full of moments that are both joyful and not so joyful. Moments remind us that we are human and that we are less than perfect.
What to do when feelings of failure overwhelm you?
Failure is not final, learn from it
Recognize that failure is not final it is just a stepping stone towards success if we choose to learn from it.
Winston Churchill said it best when he said:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill
Embrace your strengths and abilities
Realize that you have strengths and abilities that no one else does. You were created with purpose and designed to be the best version of you. You do not have to be just like everyone else you just need to be yourself and embrace your strengths and abilities.
Recognize when failure is not your final destination
Learn to recognize the difference between failure and your own life choices being redirected. Sometimes what we think we want and our destiny are two very different things. Life shows us when we are on the wrong path and guides us in the right direction. If you believe in God you may recognize this as God directing your steps and helping you to discover His will for your life.
Know when to keep trying and when to pursue other dreams
As I mentioned above not every failure is a true failure. Sometimes failure is met many times along the road to success guiding us where we need to go. When you learn to view failure this way you can achieve great things by following your failures straight to success. You will view each failure differently when you start to see them as lessons instead. Once you do you will embrace each lesson as they shape you into who you are meant to be.
Dealing with a bruised ego
One of the toughest things about failure is the feeling of disappointment and fear of others seeing us as incompetent. Let me be honest for a moment when I say you are not perfect and no one expects you to be. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself to achieve perfection. Stop believing that you should do everything right the first time and remember to give yourself some grace when you feel that you have failed. Maybe this experience was the reminder you needed to keep your ego from turning you into someone no one wants to know.
Some great lessons learned from failure in life
In my own life, I have experienced many perceived failures and I am willing to talk about them. Why? Because I am not perfect and I have discovered something important about failure and myself through these many lessons learned in life.
First lesson: Perceived is the keyword
I tried for a job a few years ago which I initially did not receive. I felt the interviews went well I did not understand the outcome but I did learn from it. What did I learn? I discovered that it is only failure if you choose to see it that way. I prefer to view each failure as a lesson learned and an opportunity to discover more about myself and my future.
Through the Interview process, I discovered my strengths and weaknesses. How can that be a failure? I now have a road map for improvement in my own life and have found new areas to focus on learning and growing professionally. Not everyone will view a lost job opportunity this way but I believe that it takes wisdom to view it like this. Each perceived failure is an opportunity for growth in our lives, whether a job loss or a relationship that we feel has failed. The key is to look internally at ourselves not with blame but with an open mind. Ask yourself how you can learn from this and where you can focus on self-improvement in the future.
Second lesson: Forgive yourself
In relationships sometimes what we view as a failure can mean the end of a relationship. There are moments when we must decide how to move forward with that relationship and where to go from here. I have experienced many moments like this in life and I have learned valuable lessons through them.
Sometimes we must recognize that the relationship is irreparable and we must choose to walk away. When we walk away we can still choose to recognize this as God’s redirection in our lives. Sometimes He protects us from further hurt and heartbreak by strengthening us to leave a bad relationship. We may have a toxic relationship that is keeping us from true joy. In these moments instead of failure, we should view this as a chance to rebuild our lives and grow. It will hurt a lot and you will still always question why until one day you may receive that clarity and recognize why your life had to move in a different direction.
Forgiveness is so critical in achieving success and in becoming the best version of you. If you hold onto bitterness and choose not to forgive you are holding yourself back from finding true Joy in your life.
Recognizing what true success in life is
I believe that true success in life is accepting yourself for who you are and making a difference in the lives of others using your strengths.
What is Success?
Success is…….
Recognizing your mistakes and choosing to view failure as a lesson learned instead of the final destination.
Seeing others as more important than you are and making them a priority.
It is being the physician or nurse that listens to your patients and cares for them to the best of your ability.
Success is being the friend that sits and listens when someone is overwhelmed with grief and prays for them.
It is being the parent that takes time with your child and raises them to believe in themselves and to be kind to others.
What success is not
Success is so many things in life but most of all success is not having the best job, the most money, the perfect relationship, a fancy car, or a fancy home. Success is learning from failure and discovering that it was never about failure at all. It is knowing that each perceived failure in life is just one step in your journey to your best and most joyful life.