Failure Is truly A Part Of Life

The famous American writer, Thomas Edison, failed over again at what he wanted to do. He had a goal to make a light bulb, but often saw it get hung up in the air or burn up in his forge. He failed time again. It was this persistent belief that he had that kept him going.

Edison's personality was such that he would view failure as a part of life. He had a kind of "can-do" attitude, even after failing several times. He continually worked on his project, even when it was a complete failure. In fact, the great scientist and inventor saw his failures as stepping stones to greater successes. He did not allow his failures to discourage him from his vision.

We all have seen or are experiencing failure. You may have failed with your first business, your second, your third, or your fourth business. But Edison showed once again that even when you experience great hardship, it does not have to stop you from pursuing your dream.

Many times we view failure as something we cannot handle. As if it is something that we can't work through on our own. Edison knew differently. He understood that failure is a part of life and we can do anything with it. He had his tools to bounce back from the hardest of hits and he used those tools again.

Most people only focus on the end result of their attempts, rather than the process. By viewing failure as just another hurdle along the way, we give ourselves excuses not to try again. The real problem with this kind of thinking is that it leads to discouragement, which is the opposite of what we really want.

When I think about failure, I often picture falling down and breaking an arm. While this may be an accurate representation of my experience in many regards, it does not accurately portray the feeling of discouragement that comes with failure. Instead, I would view failure as stepping over a finish line. I would view it as overcoming a barrier. To me, seeing failure as a hurdle on the road to success stops me from ever giving up.

It is very easy to give up when you are struggling in one area. For instance, if I am selling my product, I fear losing sales. I can't relax in knowing that I have done everything possible to sell my product, and that I will probably not be able to maintain current levels of sales. That fear of loss paralyzes me from trying to improve my sales efforts. In short, I can't risk having a setback......

To view failure as just a challenge that we can overcome is important. It helps us remain persistent and dedicated in the face of adversity. Failure often teaches us to have a "glass half full" attitude rather than a "glass half empty" attitude. It teaches us to persevere, to try again, and to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. These are all important things, and I believe they are vital elements of success.

However, some of these lessons are also a source of fear. The fear of not making it, of losing everything, of seeing our dreams compromised, are all fears that must be overcome. How do we overcome them? By understanding that each time we try something new, our confidence grows. Each time we persist in pursuing our goals, we become more confident.

So, what is the real danger when we view failure as something to fear? Often, by the time we have reached our goal, failure has served its purpose. We have seen the value of pursuing our goals. Now we are willing to take that next step. We have learned that sometimes, even with everything we have done to prepare for that next step, there are still risks involved. We can reduce the risks by understanding that, if nothing else, failure is never a guaranteed path to success.

If we are willing to accept this, then we will have learned to face our fears, and move on. The failure, as many times, is not the end of the world. In fact, if we look at history, it is clear that many people have been "on the same boat" or "at the bottom of the same river" throughout their entire lives. We need to learn from those people and make our own successful journey.

Failure is not the end of the world. We have all had good times and bad times, but we need to understand that the most positive experiences are not always the highs or lows, but that the highs and lows are not the only things worth exploring in our lives. By accepting that, and moving on, we will be able to experience success in every aspect of our lives.....

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