The Value of Failure

If at first you do not succeed, try, try again.

Let’s face it. Success is sweet. And we want it more than we want the smudgy, sweaty, stinky sensation of having given it our all only to flop altogether.

But over the years, I have learned that while success is sensational, failure has its own flavor of wonderfulness too.

Wisdom is born out of failure. Sure, when you win, you learn what worked — that time. But when you fail, you learn so much more about yourself and the world around you. You get to find out who your friends are — and who isn’t. Those who run at the first sign of trouble are the ones you don’t let back in. Those who stick it out even when you aren’t smiling, serving up hors d’oeuvres and smelling like a rose are the ones worth everything.

And then there is the matter of what you learn from what didn’t work. Every once in a while I come across an old book proposal and a wave of compassion rises up in my chest.

“God, what work I put into this! And not a single editor could care less…”

Then a subtle feeling of gratitude settles in. I really tried. It didn’t work. Next.

Is it really failure to have put your heart and soul into something (or someone) only to not get what you anticipated?

I think not.

If you have given your best and the door slams in your face, you haven’t lost a thing. You have actually gained great insight.

We sometimes stomp our feet when things don’t go according to plan. But thank goodness they don’t. Imagine if we could control simply everything about our lives, about what happens to us, about what succeeds and what doesn’t. What a load of responsibility that would be!

I’m happy to leave it up to the Universe. And to listen to its call. Therein lies the key.

Letting things unfold is a much more relaxing approach in my mind. Learning to accept that which is and to see the universal good in life keeps us supple and ready to go for that next cup of gold.

So what if things haven’t worked out the way you thought they would. That just means you aren’t done learning yet.

In fact, until our last breath, we are at risk of failing time and again.

And that is what makes life so very rich indeed.

1 Comment

  1. Power of Slow | The Many Forms Blessings Take

    May 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    […] ‘fail’ or not. What matters is that you tried at all. And besides, as I recently wrote, failure isn’t failure if you gave it all you’ve […]

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