The Failure Factor
By Lisa Marie Platske

 

Failure vs. Success.  Most people enjoy sharing their great successes with others, but few people are excited to talk about the things they have fallen short with in their lives. I believe that's because most of us were trained from a young age to see success as good and failure as bad. Thus, one feels really good, and the other brings with it an often undue sense of shame.

In contrast, when you look at the teachings and wisdom of some of the most successful people in history - from historical baseball figures to wealthy businessmen - you inevitably find that they had a different sense about failure and its role in achieving success.

Since none of us are perfect, one can safely assume that failure is part of life.  However, if we view failure as something negative, something that indicates that we aren't good enough, then what I often refer to as "The Failure Factor" will get in the way of any mindset of success, no matter how strong that mindset is.

My grandfather was a Yankees fan, and we watched every game that was televised.  His admiration for the team stemmed from watching George Herman Ruth play.  The Great Bambino, also known as "Babe", was recognized as a great hitter with a charismatic personality.  He dominated in the era he played, hitting 714 home runs, easily more than any other player in the history of the game at the time. By all accounts, he was a true success.  But people hardly ever mention that he also had struck out 1,330 times.  He looked "failure" in the face more than a thousand times and stepped back up to the plate.

There is a Japanese proverb that says, "Fall down seven times, get up eight."  That's the mindset of a winner - someone who understands the role of failure in success.  Failure is just the step (or the few steps) that come before success.

There are universal laws that affect our lives whether we are aware of it or not.  While the law of attraction has been the most talked about since the movie "The Secret" made its debut, the Law of Polarity - that nothing can exist without its opposite - is just as powerful.  For every winner, there is a loser.  And for every great success, there must also be great failure.

Life is about getting up to the plate as many times as you can and taking your best shot every time.  You won't always hit a home run, and sometimes the strikeouts will be downright ugly, but you have to keep swinging if you want to hit those home runs.

So what can you do to increase your courage to fail so that you can succeed?

1. Think like James Foster Dulles who said, "The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year."

2. Surround yourself with winners who understand the value in losing.

3. Understand why you failed. Look at the situation not from a feeling of shame but from a mindset of, "What can I do differently next time?"

4. Remember that failing doesn't mean you're a failure.

5. Have a trusted board of advisors.  These are your mentors, coaches, and masters of their game.  They're your invisible team that no one sees when you're out doing what you do best...but you know they're there.

I challenge you to examine the failure factor in your life.  Are you afraid to fail?  Do you strive to be "perfect"?  May you learn how to give yourself a break when it doesn't turn out the way you hoped it would! And may you find freedom and joy in quickly dusting yourself off and getting yourself back into the game!