The sum of your failures equals your success

It’s not often the done thing to talk about failures, in fact, often we try and hide our failures so that people don’t think we’re idiots.  But consider the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and even Sylvester Stallone and then understand how many times they did not succeed on their path to triumph.  It would be fair to say that the sum of their failures equals their success.

I’m in the process this week of closing down a business.  It’s something I’ve put my heart and soul into for three years, I’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project, sold the vision to others who have invested their commitment and passion, blood, sweat and tears… and yet the business is closed and I am in tidy up mode.

I’m trying to remind myself that this is a small step in the grand scheme of life, that it’s a hiccup that will pass and I will succeed again in the future.  But the feeling of failure is one that weighs heavy on my shoulders and its taking all my energy and faith to keep it from consuming me.  Thank heavens I have friends around me that encourage me, a wife that loves me unconditionally, and kids that bring the sparkle back into my day.

Life is full of hurdles, there’s no denying it.  Here’s an excerpt from an email I received last week, I think Nicole sums it up quite well.

Sometimes when we set goals we don’t have a plan if a hurdle happens to come along…and often these hurdles/obstacles are predictable, so when setting goals myself I now also ask myself what is likely to be an obstacle to me achieving this goal and what are my contingencies if this happens. That way I have a plan and don’t get blind sided.  I know its not completly motivational to talk about the hurdles or obstacles but in life reality bites and it is better to be planned and ready so you can spot a hurdle before it wacks you in the forehead!

So with this wisdom in front of me, and the experience of closing a business still consuming me, I thought today I would encourage everyone to plan for hurdles, accept failure, keep the faith, and focus in the big picture.

What is the big picture?  Well I believe that the big picture is made up of WHAT we are doing and, more importantly, WHY.  When I focus on these key points it allows me to keep my eyes on the prize, which keeps my head from dropping and my heart from growing heavy.

I have been encouraged each day by the reminders from those around me that I am bigger than my circumstances and that character is formed during the challenges we face.

Failure is a step towards success, if only we choose to think that way.