Photo by Nina Uhlikova
Failing can be a valuable lesson, which you can learn from your experiences, solving problems and making you strong and setting areas for improvement. I don't see failure as less important but equally important as succeeding in life.
I remember the time I was asked to preach during morning devotion. I went into a room, locked the door and practiced with confidence, thinking I'd nail it the next day. But when tomorrow came, I found myself lost, palms sweating and heart racing. I stumbled over words and it felt like the floor would swallow me whole. I didn't know what to say, so I just said whatever came out. Initially, I felt devastated for spending so much time practicing, only to embarrass myself in front of everyone. However, I didn't let it break me down or make me hide. I acknowledge that I'd failed but it didn't stop me from moving forward to improve myself.
Or the time I went for sewing skills, the first time they had me step on the machine, the way I was maneuvering it, the older folks there were laughing at me. but I didn't let it faze me because I was determined to learn. When the teacher assigned a project, I was excited and drove right in. Although I didn't nail it perfectly and I didn't get the highest score, what's funny is that I wasn't discouraged. Instead, I was confident that with more practice, I'd improve. I told myself that no matter how many times I failed, I wouldn't let it break me or make me give up. I'd build from it, learn from it and keep improving to achieve better results.
Some people see failure as a roadblock, once they fail, they quit. That's what holds them back in life. You need to expect bumps the road to success. If you don't fail, you won't be able to learn and grow. Instead of using failure as an excuse, I use it to get stronger. I've come to believe "failure is the best teacher." If I don't fail, I won't learn certain things. Failure is a stepping stone to success, a learning process that helps me grow. It's an opportunity for growth, a chance to stand up again and start afresh. Many people have failed, but they didn't allow failure to hold them back from achieving their goals. so I don't see failure as equally or more important than success. Rather, I see it as a necessary part of the journey. If I let fear of failure hold me back, I won't learn or improve. So for me to win, I'll keep moving forward, learning from my experiences and becoming a better version of myself.
I'll embrace failure to overcome my fears, approach challenges with a growth mindset and gain new insights. By embracing opportunities for self-improvement, i can overcome anything. So failure isn't less important than success, it's equally important for gaining a better perspective. This mindset helps me prioritize progress, learning and development, over the need for immediate success.
