Failure Is Fruitful

“Failure is the surest path to success. It tests, strengthens, and refines us. Passing through it qualifies us to lead.”
- Leadership Wired – August 2008

Nobody is perfect. Failure is inevitable. It all depends on how you look at it. Like I said before, it’s all a matter of perspective. People who choose to perceive failure as a reason to give up and stop short of their goals aren’t fit to have them anyway. You must see failure as apart of your learning curve and use it to your advantage. When we fail we have several paths in front of us.

 We can blame our failures on others.

 We can identify with our setbacks to the extent that we view ourselves as failures.

 We can ignore or deny our failure.

 OR, we can embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as a springboard to get better.

It’s all up to you. I’ve had to overcome a lot of setbacks to get where I am. I’m a mother of four with a very successful real estate investing and consulting firm. I attempted college three times before deciding to get my real estate license. I had my first child before I got married and I was living with my grandmother at the time. I had no income and was a single parent. Now, I had support but certain things that should’ve been in place were not. I could have saved a lot of time if I had done some things differently. I’m not crying over spilled milk, just stating the facts.

The place where I was, I ended up there because of some wrong choices. I had always considered myself to be smart and intelligent but I have to admit, I made some stupid decisions. I could have given up and fell into the stereotypical, single parent syndrome but I wanted more for my children and was determined that I would have what I wanted.

I decided that I was not a failure although I had failed in some areas. My mind had to be conditioned to look at my situation differently and learn the lesson it was sent to teach me.

Through that time in my life I realized that I could handle tough situations and not buckle under the pressure. I learned that determination to reach a goal is motivation that comes from inside. I learned that I had to want better for myself and nobody else. I tried school because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do and what everybody expected. I wasn’t successful until I made my mind up on what I truly wanted and started making decisions to please nobody but me. That’s in no way a selfish approach. You must want it for yourself. Nobody can make the right decisions for you.

Our response dictates where we end upon the path of leadership. You qualify to lead once you’ve been through the process yourself. You can’t lead anybody to a place you’ve never been. I can tell people just because you make bad choices and your situation looks hopeless, you can make it. Just shift the way you look at your situation and see the lesson in it. What should you learn from it that will help you in the future? How does this momentary setback prepare me for my destiny? Ask yourself these questions.

Your failure should be used as a stepping stone to your desired goal. Everything happens for a reason. Make sure you know what it is and move on. Don’t get stuck in regrets because you can’t change what’s already been done. You can only make sure not to repeat the same mistake in the future.

Failure is fruitful. It brings with it life lessons that only make you stronger. Failure is apart of the process not the end. As you’re on the path to self-improvement, use failure as fuel to the fire that drives you to your desired destination. You can do it. I believe in you.

A few quotes to share:

 “The majority of men meet failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.” –Napoleon Hill

 “Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.” – William S. Gilbert

 “A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience.” – Elbert Hubbard