Is it Okay to Fail? Yes! Here’s Why
Failure is a concept which many of us fear. Failure can make us feel worthless and can trigger a negative spiral of emotions. We are led to believe that embarrassment and shame are associated with failing.
Many of us purposefully try to avoid failure. However, times are changing and these days, failure should be a badge of honour and nothing to shy away from. Those who have achieved their greatest success, are just one step beyond their greatest failure.
It’s okay to fail. It’s time we turn the tide on failure, and here’s why!
It’s Okay to Fail
When you think about it, we have all failed from a very young age. Were we born walking? Nope! Did you suddenly wake up one day and know how to read? Again, a firm no.
We spend years in school trying and failing until finally one day, we can blend those individual sounds together and read words. Have you previously failed to save and maxed out that credit card? I know I have.
We need to fail, in order to become the best versions of ourselves. These failures act as a motivation to keep striving, until we eventually succeed.
In the absence of failure, we wouldn’t be who we are. The failures we make shape our future selves. That exam you flunked and that job interview you completely sucked at helped you become a better person – believe it or not!
Is it okay to fail a class in high school? You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel in the moment, but trust me, our failures become our biggest teachings. They make us stronger. Say it with me – it’s okay to fail!
Failure to Achieve
As a society, we are taught to avert failure and its many negative connotations. Failure hits us hard, even harder than success. Without these failures, how would we have the will to achieve? There are many modern-day stalwarts, who have had their own tastes of an ‘epic fail’.
Instead of seeing their initial failure to achieve as an excuse to give up, they kept on struggling and aiming for the top. These icons are now multi-millionaires, who shout about the necessity of failure, in order to achieve.
One of the best examples is J.K Rowling. The world-renowned author of the Harry Potter series was initially rejected by almost all major publishing houses. She coined herself the ‘biggest failure’ she knew.
She was unemployed, on welfare, and a single mother. She has openly discussed how these failures gave her the impetus she needed to pick herself up and keep going. She is now one of the highest-paid authors in the world.
She is proof that financial and career success can stem from failure, so keep going!
Failure Leads to Success
In the absence of failure, how can we improve? When we consistently try to improve personal elements such as our wellbeing, finances, and relationships; success often follows. This path may not be linear but what journey is?
Failure leads us to success, and failure exists in many forms. We have all been that person who spent their entire months’ salary in one week. There is nothing worse than feeling like a broke student, living paycheque to paycheque.
We learn to implement the art of budgeting from these types of financial failures. Slowly, we realize the advantage of planning our expenditure, stretching that salary, and potentially even saving a few dollars.
Learn from that financial disaster and open a savings account!
Your future self will thank you, when you’re sipping cocktails on your next vacation that you saved for. Success!
Examples of Failure in Life
Failures in life come in many forms. Failure can take us by surprise or sometimes, we set ourselves up for it. Failure can be categorized and hypothesized but at the end of the day, it can quite simply be defined as lack of success. Remember though, failure can lead to success so don’t let it deter you!
Here are three common failures we may experience in life:
- A Failed Relationship
Whether we’re talking romantic, familial or working- we can all pinpoint a failed relationship, or two! That sinking feeling you get when you reflect upon what once was.
Where did it all go wrong? Maybe you grew apart from that high school friend and have regretted it ever since. Perhaps your relationship with your sibling was never that strong to begin with. Own that regret, admit to failure and either move on and learn from it.
- A Failed Bank Balance
Most of us have been there. The dreaded ‘insufficient funds in your account’, as you’re trying to pay for lunch. Who wants to try explaining their way out of that failure? Having experience with being broke helps you strive for financial stability.
We can get by on a tight budget, even if you are paying off student or car loans. Budgeting is the recipe for success here! Financial freedom is an accomplishment worth striving for.
- A Failed Career Move
Don’t let career failure break your spirit. Whether it’s a job you were fired from, or an entire career that went up in smoke – we’ve all experienced this in some form. There can be great solace to take from the saying, ‘What is for you won’t pass you’.
Failure can completely redefine your career path or project, and lead to great success. Rarely does a successful individual begin their lifelong career straight out of high school or college. Trial and error is the name of the game, to gain career and financial security.
The capacity to recover from failure is the formula for success. In the words of Winston Churchill;
‘Success is not final,
Failure is not fatal;
It is the courage to continue that counts. ‘
By: Robert Puharich | January 25, 2022 |
