{"id":37083,"date":"2015-12-25T19:37:09","date_gmt":"2015-12-26T03:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=37083"},"modified":"2015-12-30T00:23:30","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T08:23:30","slug":"6-surprising-reasons-welcome-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-surprising-reasons-welcome-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Surprising Reasons to Welcome Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

Who likes to fail?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what I thought.<\/p>\n

For most of us failure\u2019s shameful, embarrassing, and even scary. Maybe it means you don\u2019t have what it takes. Maybe this dream isn\u2019t meant to be. What if everyone\u2019s laughing or judging?<\/p>\n

But if you ask the very successful, they\u2019ll tell you a different story. They\u2019ll tell you failure\u2019s not only good, but necessary for these 6 reasons\u2026<\/p>\n

Reason#1:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure means you\u2019re trying<\/strong>\u2014Congratulations. There\u2019s no succeeding without getting off your bottom and throwing your hat in the ring. If you\u2019re starting to fail, it means you\u2019ve begun the journey. You\u2019re making concerted efforts to get somewhere or learn a skill or achieve something.<\/p>\n

Okay, the road may be bumpy and full of potholes, but you\u2019re taking the steps (and making the mistakes) necessary to get to that destination. If you stop, its true you won\u2019t fail anymore. But you also won\u2019t succeed.<\/p>\n

Reason#2:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure brings you closer to<\/strong> your goal<\/strong>\u2013 Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. You\u2019ve started that trek, but it\u2019s harder than you thought or scarier. Maybe it\u2019s taking too long.<\/p>\n

Remember, every step, no matter how hard and frustrating, brings you closer. Keep walking. Stay the course. With each hardship you overcome, you\u2019re inching your way toward that vision. You\u2019re learning. You\u2019re growing. You\u2019re developing that important thick hide which leads me to\u2026<\/p>\n

Reason#3:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure toughens you up — <\/strong>Ever met a successful person who was a wussy? Me neither. It doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re hard, cynical people. But along the way, they adapted resiliency. They kept going despite terrible odds or sometimes crushing defeat. They adapted. They rebounded. They got back on that horse. They strengthened the muscles needed to go on.<\/p>\n

Failure teaches you this. In fact, success is impossible without toughness. And if you don\u2019t have it to begin with, believe me, failure will help you develop it.<\/p>\n

Reason#4:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure teaches you important life lessons<\/strong>— Alas, for most of us, there\u2019s no other way to learn than making mistakes. How else do we know what to do except for trying? But even mistakes shouldn\u2019t be seen as failures. They\u2019re lessons. They\u2019re steppingstones. They\u2019re guideposts.<\/p>\n

Mistakes mean you\u2019re paying your dues. If you read the story of most (if not all) successful people, it wasn\u2019t an easy glide to the home plate of victory. It was a long, arduous journey pitted with frustration and sometimes pain. But they learned and kept going. And in the end, they reaped the rewards.<\/p>\n

Reason#5:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure is better than regret \u2013 <\/strong>The world is littered with people who gave up. And many feel a certain ache because of it. Maybe things got too hard. Or it took too long. Maybe someone said something snarky they took to heart.<\/p>\n

There are always a million reasons to quit. But there\u2019s usually only one reason to go on. And it\u2019s an important one. You\u2019ll have a happier, more fulfilled life if you keep trying, even when it\u2019s hard. Instead of that ache, you\u2019ll feel a sense of pride.<\/p>\n

Reason#6:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Failure teaches you what you love \u2013 <\/strong>What are you willing to go through for your dream? I learned this hard lesson myself with writing. Let\u2019s face it, for every drop of encouragement, there\u2019s an ocean of discouragement. And some people decide it\u2019s not worth the effort. And I get that.<\/p>\n

But then there are the masochistic crazies (like myself) who decide, yup, this hurts so good. I\u2019m going to keep going despite the torturous frustration at times. It wasn\u2019t till I got thrown off that horse again and again that I realized I\u2019m here for the long haul. Writing Gods, I said, you might as well get used to me. I\u2019m not going anywhere. I climbed back on.<\/p>\n

Is that how you feel about your dream? Will you do whatever it takes to achieve it? Then you\u2019ve been given a gift. You\u2019ve been taught what you love. And not everyone has that.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the end, failure\u2019s not the opposite of success.<\/strong> Failure\u2019s the bridge. Failure\u2019s the initiation rite, those necessary steps you must take, no matter how hard, no matter how tenuous.<\/p>\n

Next time you\u2019re thrown off that horse do the following. Stand up. Brush yourself off. Check for broken bones.<\/p>\n

Then thank failure for teaching you to be tough and resilient. Thank failure for guiding you to your destiny. Thank failure for giving you that steely determination needed to keep going.<\/p>\n

Are you ready?<\/p>\n

Good. Climb back on and start heading for that dream.<\/p>\n

—————-<\/p>\n

Laurie Stone<\/a> is a blogger, writer of fiction, and reporter. Her essays have appeared in the Connecticut Post, Connecticut Kids Magazine and In The Know Traveler Website, among many others. Laurie blogs about midlife, family, and the ups and downs that come with growing up and growing older.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most of us failure\u2019s shameful, embarrassing, and even scary. Maybe it means you don\u2019t have what it takes. Maybe this dream isn\u2019t meant to be. What if everyone\u2019s laughing or judging? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":37701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[205,9,6],"tags":[4653,174,4631,66,3637,4831],"yoast_head":"\n6 Surprising Reasons to Welcome Failure<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For most of us failure\u2019s shameful, embarrassing, and even scary. Maybe it means you don\u2019t have what it takes. Maybe this dream isn\u2019t meant to be. 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