Ah failure, that thing we’re all afraid of, that thing that really stings, that thing that is probably one’s biggest fear.. But it’s also that thing we all can learn from. We all know there are many cliches regarding failure: “Fail over and over again.”, “Fail colossally.”, “Fail famously in front of everyone, rinse and repeat.”, yeah I think we’ve all heard those..

 

From a young age, we’re taught that failure is something that should be avoided at all costs. In school, getting a bad grade feels like the end of the world, and messing up in sports or performances can be embarrassing. Social media doesn’t help either–people only post their wins, so it only looks like everyone else is constantly succeeding while you’re the only one struggling. Even in jobs, failure is often punished instead of seen as a part of the process. No wonder so many people are terrified of screwing up. But here’s the thing–everyone fails. The most successful people in the world have failed more times than they can count. This problem isn’t failure itself; it’s that we’re taught to see it as a dead end instead of just a step along the way.

 

One of the biggest reasons as to why failure is awful is because it feels personal. It’s easy to see it as a sign that you’re not good enough rather than just a bump in the road. On top of that, there’s the fear of what others might think, which can make it even worse..

Failure forces you to look at what went wrong and what needs to change. It’s uncomfortable, but it pushes you to think differently and improve in ways success never could. Instead of seeing it as a roadblock, treat it like a rough draft–something to revise, not something to quit on.

 

Failure is definitely tough at the moment, but it doesn’t define you or mean you won’t succeed. As cliche as this sounds… What matters is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep showing up for yourself. Every mistake is just a step closer to where you want to be. And that’s always worth it.