For some people, just hearing the word "failure" is enough to cause some anxiety. We are all human and humans make mistakes. Yet, I'm sure we can all agree that we are taught from a very young age that we're supposed to do everything in our power to prevent setbacks, obstacles, and overall failure.
Kim Kiyosaki says it well when she states:
"...if you're not making mistakes, you probably aren't taking big enough risks."
We are taught to not make mistakes and fail when in reality, we have to make mistakes! Now, I'm not saying that we should be looking for every opportunity to fall on our face. What I'm saying is that once we encounter failure, we should not let that prevent us from making progress.
Failure is a Lesson in Disguise
Everyone handles failure in a different manner. Unfortunately, there are some people who completely give up on their goals after reaching their first sign of failure. Instead of giving up altogether, one should look at this moment and learn from it. Restrategize, take a different approach and try again. The only purpose of a failure is to tell you that single approach didn't work. That doesn't mean another approach will fail too. You simply must have the discipline and drive to get back on your feet, dust yourself off, and try again.
Thomas Edison
The following example is an amazing approach to this concept.
According to Uky.edu:
When a reporter asked [Thomas Edison], "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."
Everytime that Edison tried and failed, he learned something new. With every attempt to create a successful lightbulb, he learned what not to do in order to be successful. I'm sure many people would have quit after the first failed attempt and many more after the next hundred failed attempts. But Edison knew that he would find the solution only if he continued to make mistakes and fail first.
This is why I always encourage people to try again and to continue trying. For every failure, there is a lesson to be learned. We all want to find the "key" on what to do and how to do it when we sometimes must learn what not to do and how not to do it first.
Reference: Rich Dad