How are you dealing with failure in your life?  Life is filled with failure. Doesn’t matter who you are, failure knows no limits.  Failure can break down morale, crush self-confidence, lower enthusiasm, and cause many to give up and just quit.  Failure is the opposite of life. Failure is the single most difficult thing to learn to deal with. Failure is the small voice in the back of your head telling you “just give up!” or “why are you still trying to do this?”  Failure can come in many different forms. Failure could be the one person who just seems to be better than you at everything, or the ever-elusive grade in a difficult class, a situation which didn’t go your way, the big play when the game is on the line, the final test of a semester, the flat tire on your car, etc.  The power of failure though can be the reason for great success or great failure.

Failure has no power over the motivated.  Failure does just the opposite for these people.  Failure drives the dream. Failure influences the work ethic, increases enthusiasm, cannot ruin their self-confidence and will drive them to never quit.  Are you starting to see how powerful failure can be? Failure to the successful person tells them “Keep going!” or “I will keep going until I get this right.”  The power of failure to the successful person is they are now competing against those who are at a grave disadvantage. The power of failure to a successful person is almost like a natural selection process.  Those who can handle failure will find power in the process it takes to become great at something. There is one simple thing that separates how many people will perceive failure, perspective.

The Power of failure all derives from perspective.  How the person processes the failure they are currently dealing with.  Notice I used the word “currently.” Failure never stops and there will most likely be some sort of failure people are dealing with at all times.  Try following these simple steps to tip the scales in your favor and allow you to tap into the power of failure:

1. The power of failure requires an individual to accept responsibility for their actions.  Take responsibility for the past, present, and future. Never blame a spouse, teammates, other employees, boss, genetics, lack of education, etc.  All these things will cause a constant look to the past and will not allow for an objective outlook to grow. Own YOU and everything about YOU.
2. Seek Knowledge and understanding.  There must be an understanding and willingness to learn from others.  There must be a humbleness that allows an individual to take direction and guidance from someone who has been there before.  Too often individuals “know it all.” As JL Holdsworth, founder of the Spot Athletics would say “The best thing you can say to me if I ask you a question you don’t know is I don’t know.  I can teach someone who doesn’t know, but not someone who already does know.”
3. Be a person of action!  Do the extra work. Be willing to put in the extra hours alone to get better.  Get real-life experience and surround yourself with as many like-minded people as possible.  Seize the moment with no regrets!
4. Have a sure heart.  Make sure to be decided in your heart.  If in a situation which currently isn’t in your heart, work towards something which is.  Life happens, but to achieve true success there needs to be a certain passion that can only come from within.
5. Remember attitude and effort are a CHOICE.  The way a person chooses to handle a situation is always a choice.  At the end of the day, YOU and only YOU get to choose your outcomes for a given situation. 
6. Be able to forgive.  This one may seem weird, but it is very important.  Don’t be a person who dwells and holds grudges, it will only hold you back from keeping a mindset which feeds your goals.  Be able to forgive yourself. We are human we all make mistakes and how we handle these mistakes can greatly influence the power of failure to us.
7. Persistence is a must.  You must peruse your goals with a vengeance.  An unquenchable thirst. A flame that cannot be put out.  Have faith you can be great! Believe in yourself and your abilities.

I hope you are starting to see the trend.  The underlying truth to the power of failure.  The choice to use the power of failure as an advantage or disadvantage.  We must push each other to be on the right side of failure. We must help each other use failure to motivate us to keep achieving.  WE must be role models for those who let failure destroy them. From the young child who is struggling in sports or maybe school all the way to the grown adult who is at a standstill in their career and isn’t happy with their situation.  The power of failure can be a great tool for those who learn how to use it. So don’t be afraid to fail, don’t be afraid to mess up, don’t be afraid to be you and show the world what you can do!

“The Power of failure begins and ends with you…”

Written by: Nic Bronkall LMT, CSCS