How do you define failure? First you have to know what it is to be able to forgive and move on.
Wikipedia presents it as “the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success.”
You could have A failure or you could lump up all your life experiences together and feel like A failure. Let’s concentrate on the previous – one instance at a time. When you generalize your life you prevent yourself from meeting your own potential, you become your perception. If you stop and ask yourself a qualifying question like: “Really- everything I’ve EVER done I’ve failed at?” I’m sure you will see that simply isn’t true.
It can be easy to fall into this pattern when things don’t seem to be going right and you are in a constant state of struggle. But now, more than ever you have to be honest in your assumptions or you will get stuck in the proverbial, “I NEVER…” or “I ALWAYS…”
First, what were your expectations? Then, what actually happened? Most importantly, what could you have done to change the outcome? And finally, how will you adjust your approach to prevent this from happening again. Write this down, it’s better to see it in black and white so you can easily recall it or use your answers as a guide.
You are rarely in control of everything that happens to you but you ARE in control of how you react and the plan you make for your next attempt. Take your time and be intentional.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Your worth is not tied to your accomplishments. Say that again. Your worth is NOT tied to your accomplishments. If you didn’t try you would not have had the opportunity to fail. So first, celebrate your attempt. Negative self-talk is a powerful thing and usually stems from what you feel others think of you.
CHALLENGE: Leave room to explore life and if you hit a snag, quarantine it, evaluate your options then have an internal pep talk and be your own coach “Ok that didn’t work, no biggie, I see now what we need to do to get back on track – LET’S GO!”
I know YOU can do it!
Musical Feature: Dave Tamkin www.davetamkin.com www.headabovemusic.com