The Benefits of Failure

Pretty much all of us find the idea of “failure” terrifying! But failures, if used correctly, can actually be beneficial. Sure it’s painful, but if you can push through, learning from your mistakes, you may actually learn more from your failures than from successes. So let’s learn about how failure can have benefits, and turn setbacks into strengths!

Understand Failure

Failure doesn’t have to be your enemy, or some invisible force that’s chasing you down wherever you are. Failure can be a friend. You don’t have to be afraid of it. You wouldn’t be who you are today without this friend, who helps you grow, keeps you humble, and makes victory all the sweeter.

Failure is an excellent teacher, too, pushing you forward to work harder and do greater things. It might hurt, but it’s essential if you want to step outside your comfort zone. Remember, if you fail, it just means you’re one step closer to your goal.

Was da Vinci born able to paint the Mona Lisa, or did he experience frustration and have to practice endlessly? We know the Beatles suffered a whole lot of rejection before finally finding their audience, and if Thomas Edison had given up after the first hundred attempts to make a light bulb, we might still be in candlelight today!
Aren’t you glad these people pushed through their failures and never gave up? We should strive to be just like that.

Learn From Failure

Never allow failure to hold you back. Every single person in the world fails sometimes, even if you don’t see it. So just because you fail at something, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it simply means you’re human. What you can control is the way you respond to failing. The heroes you look up to are people who pushed through their failure to end up succeeding. Don’t be discouraged. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

I’m sure we all have personal stories of our own failures which ended up as successes. Like that time I wanted to make a few dollars selling brownies. I whipped up some brownies and cookies, popped them in a nice big jar with “$1.00 Each” written on it, and set off for a youth group I went to. It never occurred to me that this was the one day in which they were already handing out free food there! I did get a couple of sympathy sales, but I now have the experience, and am able to offer the advice that, if you’re going to sell stuff, please plan more carefully than I did.

You see, failure really does have benefits! I learned more from that experience – don’t try to sell baked goods when the supply is so high and the demand so low – than I would have if I’d completely sold out. I might end up richer if I’d been successful, but I’m wiser as things turned out.

Respond Well

When you start to see failure as a positive, you can respond with resilience. Resilience is the ability to quickly recover from setbacks and challenges – to bounce back from adversity well. Pure grit. Keep going even when it’s hard. We all face challenges, whether it’s stressful work, friend dramas, academic pressure, bullies, or illness, and it can be tempting to just give up. But you can control the way you respond. You can choose to shrink down and hide from the world, or you can be confidant and decide that no matter what you face, you will keep a positive mindset, tackle the challenge with energy and diligence, and never give up. By looking at difficulty with a positive mindset, gratitude, and hope for the future, you will find it a lot easier to be resilient. Adapt to the challenge, and persist in following what you need.

Do the difficult, and learn from it. That is how you discover yourself, become wiser, and grow.

Conclusion

The path to success is very messy. It’s full of twists and turns and failures. But if you push through the pain, you just might get what you really want, or perhaps something even better.

Think of the areas in your own life where you have experienced failure and success. Ask yourself:

• What have you learned from your failures?
• What helps you stay motivated through setbacks?
• In what areas of your life do you need to step outside your comfort zone in order to achieve your goals?

If you grow in resilience and see the benefits of failure as opportunities to learn, you won’t be so afraid to try new things. With this mindset, you will be well equipped to follow your passions and pursue your goals despite any difficulties you face. So what are you waiting for? Don’t be afraid. It’s time to change the world!