“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”
Johnny Cash
Thank you, Johnny Cash for these words of wisdom. Obviously, he had the right mindset to face failure, embrace it, and allow it to propel him to success.
Here are five ways we can use failure to propel us to success.
1. Failures are opportunities
Successful people see mistakes as an opportunity to learn, change course, grow and expand. To see failure as an opportunity is not putting a Pollyanna spin on reality. It’s accepting that everyone fails, and you can choose to learn from your mistakes, or you can stay stuck in them. Chronic stress makes you feel stuck, and failure or things not going as you planned, can add to that. If you trust that everything happens for a reason and a season, the opportunities will reveal themselves and the doors will open.
2. Failure will make you resilient
One big lesson from trying and failing is finding out you can get right back up again and keep going. You can admit that you tried and failed and use what you learned to build a better strategy to get to your goal. Failure also builds your mindset muscle. You don’t change from a ”I can’t. I’m scared.“ mindset to a “Bring it on, I got this!” mindset overnight.
3. Failure will make you innovate
Failure can make you more inclined to try different strategies, to see risk in a different light. If you’re not afraid to fail, you’re more likely to try bold strategies and might just hit on something big! If Dr. Charles Drew had given up after the first failure on how to store blood, many of us would not be here today.
4. Failure reminds you that you’re not alone.
Believe it or not, failure can make you a better person. Accepting failure as part of life will make you more empathic and less judgmental of others. You’ll be more likely to help other people you see trying to make it, and in return, you will be more open to asking for and receiving help when you need it. This is the spirit of reciprocity in action. When I rise, you rise, we rise!
5. Failure will make you kinder to yourself.
Seeing failure in its proper light will make you more forgiving of your flaws. You’ll be less of a perfectionist and be less prone to self-doubt. With a shift in mindset, what used to be seen as your flaws can transform to talents. And that, in turn, will build your self-confidence and make you more likely to succeed!
Like Johnny Cash said, don’t dwell on the mistake or the past. Let that moment and the energy of it be a transient visitor and not take up residence in your mind or your energy. Embrace failure and learn from it. FAIL FORWARD and use it to propel you to success.
THANK YOU for reading this blog post.. If you want to chat with me 1-on-1, schedule a FREE appointment here www.freelifestrategy.com.
Yours in Health and Harmony,
Dr. Michelle Clay is an empowering speaker, two-time best-selling author & Holistic Physician specializing in the release and management of stress and its associated symptoms simply and naturally. Through her company FREELIFE7, Dr. Michelle enhances lives by harmonizing all dimensions of wellness through coaching programs, online courses and seminars to help stressed out and burned out bonus parents,professionals and high performers discover their sense of calm, clarity and confidence to live a FREELIFE on purpose with passion. Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, she has made New Orleans her home.