Failure
Some things in life simply aren’t possible without failure. Correction, most things in life that matter – the things we really want and the things we really treasure – these things are rarely possible without failure.
Think about it, few people and few endeavors are instant successes. Oh they may seem like instant successes, but that’s just because we didn’t witness the failures. J.K. Rowling illustrated this nicely in her Harvard commencement speech (she also makes a great pitch for creativity for the sake of empathy).
The point is that we really only fail when we stop evaluating why we failed, coming up with another plan, and trying again.
Let’s resolve to be kinder, more patient, and more adventuresome with regards to our failures and the failures of those around us.
Check out this Huffington Post article entitled “Raise Children, Not Flowers!” if you require any additional persuasion regarding the need to be kind after a failure.
If you’ve recently failed and need to be reminded that you’re not alone, check out Failure Magazine. “Failure magazine is the online publication full of humankind’s boldest missteps.” You can even buy a T-shirt.
Icarus Talks is a relatively new organization focused exclusively on failure. Its tagline is “failure is most definitely an option.” Check them out the next time you need some encouragement after a failure.
