The problem with not failing is that you never get any better.
Forward progress is a result of loss and suffering.
Whatever you call it – a try or an iteration, a pivot, a test, or a trial balloon – trying and failing is uncomfortable, no matter how you tried to rationalize the outcome.
But it’s also necessary. It’s the only way that you improve.
Failure forces you to adapt and evolve.
You can’t stay the same and improve.
You have to get better.
Failure is nature’s way of pruning back good ideas so that you can create greater work.
Make no mistake, failure isn’t going to feel fun. Even knowing that it is the core of what propels you mightily toward your goal isn’t going to be enough to take the sting away.
It’s going to hurt. You’re going to feel uncomfortable. Miserable. Upset and angry.
When you put it all on the line and fail to succeed, it feels like you have left a part of yourself behind.
In truth, you have.
You have left a piece of yourself behind. But if you are willing to learn something new, that piece you lost will grow back even stronger.
You will be better because of your failure.
When you first feel the sting of failure, conversations like this are meaningless. What you feel overrides any logical discussion you could have with yourself.
But it’s important to remember the truth for when your emotions level out and it’s time to get back to work.
Failure can’t kill you.
And the problem with never failing is that you will never get any better.
You’ll stay stuck. And miserable. Always wanting something more but not sure how to go get it.
Learn from your failures. Let that drive you to be the person you’ve always wanted to become. To get to where you want to be.
After all, success is the best revenge.