If you’re easily offended, you might want to click away from this blog. Today I’m going to talk about something a little controversial … the ‘f’ word:
Failure.
If you’re feeling a little triggered, a little twitchy, at the appearance of that seven-letter word, you’re not alone.
Failure is one of those mythical beasts with fearsome horns, prickly scales and searing-hot fire blasting out of its gnarly-teeth laden mouth. It’s intimidating and scary and, basically, the adult version of the horrible monster under the bed.
For a long time, I let failure, or rather my fear of failure, rule my life.
I tippy-toed the line, stayed in the shallow end of the entrepreneurial pool (so I wouldn’t drown in the deep end) and did everything I could to avoid failure.
But here’s the thing: there’s a reason why failure is MYTHICAL. Why it’s a monster under the bed.
The truth about failure
Failure isn’t real.
Failure is a story we tell ourselves about our past. It’s a reason we convince ourselves of for giving up on our dreams and it’s an excuse we create to avoid having to put ourselves out there.
Failure isn’t a solid, tangible item you can put in your shopping basket. It’s not an object you can point at and say, ‘there! That’s failure.’
It’s an idea, a concept. And like all ideas and concepts, it exists solely in our minds. WE choose whether or not it exists.
And you know what?
I’m choosing to flip off the ‘f’ word and relegate it to the ‘aint-nobody-got-time-for-that’ pile.
Well … almost.
You see, there is ONE time failure exists: When you give up.
But if you never give up you never fail.
According to some people, I’ve failed. My first marriage failed. My many half-assed business attempts failed. My let’s-make-(insert complicated recipe here) failed.
And yet … I don’t think I’ve ever failed.
Why? Because every so-called failure I’ve experienced taught me something. It took me somewhere. There were lessons and blessings and challenges and an abundance of ways my ‘failures’ helped me grow as a person and as a business owner.
I have no doubt that without my ‘failures’ I wouldn’t be where I am today (running a six-figure design biz and enjoying a lifestyle I had thought was waaay out of reach).
Over the last 20 years, I’ve learned that failure isn’t something to be scared of. It’s not a swear word or the worst-case scenario (that is and always will be not getting ANYTHING out of a situation, lessons included).
Failure is simply the journey from where you are to where you want to be. And every journey has its detours and breakdowns. It’s just how you see the journey that matters. If you bump into a road sign, decide it’s failure and then turn around and go back … THAT’S failure.
But if you drive straight over the top of that road sign, look back, say ‘whoops!’ and decide it’s probably a good idea to not paint your nails while you’re driving … well, that’s a lesson. That’s the journey.
Want to feel even better about the ‘f’ word? I’ve created a free eBook just for you:
’10 inevitable business ‘failures’ (that are actually blessings in disguise)’
Go ahead and download it below.
