Here’s the crux of it all; well said by Robert F. Kennedy…

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly

That is it; It can’t get any more basic, and no better way to say it.

Would you dare fail? I know I shouldn’t ask because you hate to fail, right? Who wouldn’t? We all hate it. We feel terrible by its very thought. We fret it, we try to avoid it, and we question ourselves every time we have unconventional ideas. But the simple truth is: no great success was ever achieved without failure. It may be one epic failure. Or a series of failures – such as Edison’s 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb.

My greatest mistake was; I tried to secure my status quo [the highest limitation I ever had]. I didn’t do anything worthwhile; I was scared I was going to fail. I was scared, thinking my ideas were bad; I was scared I would not maintain my records of accomplishment. And I resulted in playing it safe. For many years, I did nothing, learned nothing, and, of course, achieved nothing.

I was held back by FEAR and doubt.

Can you relate with those?

Jack Canfield nailed it by saying: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”  Ok, if you need them, you have to break through your fear, and get them.

The truth is, you don’t have the slightest idea of how much you can achieve until you summon a courage, step out, face your fear and take action.

Five specifics you should know about failure…

You learn what works when you fail. This is important because you need good judgment to succeed, and good judgment is developed from bad judgment.

You instantly become a philosopher, and a teacher, when you fail. For me, it’s the better side of life – to help people make right choices. To have inspiring stories to tell.

The more you fail, the better your chances of succeeding. This is so true! As you fail along, you understand how best things work. You simply learn from your mistakes and become a better person.

Either you fail or succeed; you still win. You become happy when you succeed; you become a philosopher when you fail. Yeah, you lose nothing.

You’d eventually succeed when you fail, and you don’t freak out. Those who truly fail are the people who, along their way to success, got tired of trying. Rather than moving forward, they decided to squash their dream.

Here’s the truth:

Since failure is unavoidable, especially by those who have great dreams, and since it helps, in a way, I think it’s however reasonable to launch out, try, and fail [possibly] rather than play it safe. Do you think otherwise?

Look at this…

“If you focus on the risks, they’ll multiply in your mind and eventually paralyze you. You want to focus on the task, instead, on doing what needs to be done” – Barry Eisler

If you’re scared stiff by daunting thoughts of fear, here’s how to soar on the wings of failure.

#1. First, fail:

I know it’s crazy because it’s against the norm. The truth, however, is, unless you try, you will be stuck for life. Then, why should you prepare to fail? Because it’s the scariest thing, anyone would dare, and the closest to success. The key is to build a culture of experimentation where failing is acceptable and is viewed as a learning experience.

Those who ever dared to fail succeeded. And those who dread failure, failed, eventually. Sometimes, you’re simply faced by what you fear the most.

This is how to fail:

Fail distinctively, fail with the end in mind, fail with purpose. Ask yourself; what lesson do I have to learn from this? What better approach should I adopt? When you fail with purpose, then, you’re sure set for success.

The minute you break out of the fear of failure, and you’re ready for adventure, you gain your freedom that instant. This moment is not easy to come by; most people take giant steps when they hit their threshold.

This is the key, I believe: to allow failure to be a springboard from which we succeed and grow. To allow failure sharpen our mind, open our eyes and instruct our heart.

Most of the smartest guys I know are those who once failed. I think failure injects the power to become matchless.

#2. Learn from your failure

It’s not a sin to fail. And the number of times is inconsequential. What matters is the lesson you learn, each time you fail. The more you learn what works, the closer you are to success.

Bounce back to life. I’m sure you’ve heard the old maxim “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And that’s it! If you’re still alive, then bounce back to life.  Don’t waggle down and shrink into your shell. Don’t cry your eyes out, don’t give in to fear and doubt. Yes, keep your head high and get back to your feet.

Stop, think, re-strategise. Now you know what will not work. Your duty, hence, is to figure out what works. Reflect on your strategies when you fail, then, get alternatives; get better tools, try other approaches, restructure your team, form better policies,  etc.

Do you ever wonder what Edison did each time his experimental approach didn’t light the bulb? He looked for better alternatives. And that’s the key. Ask yourself; what else would work?
Keep at it. What do you do when you fall? You simply get up, shake up yourself, and walk up! That is it, do it!

Well, this is the biggest hurdle that stops people from achieving their dreams. Don’t stop when you fail, try it again. And if you still don’t get your desired result, keep at it until you succeed.

Improve on it. Don’t focus on a single approach. Think of a better way, there’s always one. And when your best approach becomes faulty, think again!

Succeed. This is the part I love most; it should be your goal. Your desire and passion should drive you there. Don’t stop trying until you win, because you can.

Leave a comment: have you for once experienced failure; was it helpful in a way? How did you manage it? Share your story…

Sharing is caring! Please share with your friends.