Failure sounds like such a bad thing. We have come to see it differently, though. I’m not saying that it’s good that the goal wasn’t achieved. That’s a bummer. However, failure often comes with some additional bonuses, for example:
- A failed diet can teach us what works and what doesn’t work for us.
- A failed business can show us what we really want to be doing
- A failed relationship can reveal to us what we value most.
When scientist get different results than they’d hoped for, they simply add the new information to their ever-growing body of knowledge. In fact, many great scientific discoveries came by accident when the intended results didn’t come. For example, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by chance when he re-checked some discarded petri dishes. They had been contaminated by a mold in which he then discovered the anti-biotic.
Thomas Edison, famous for inventing the light bulb, “failed” 999 times before he figured it out. But he didn’t see those attempts as failures. Rather, he said he learned 999 ways not to make a light bulb.
Henry Ford is also famous for his perseverance through numerous business failures. Read his story here . Even I have learned a lot about myself and what I want in life from what many people would call “failures.”
Some Good Things that Come from Failing, Getting Back Up and Trying Again
- Perseverance: We are more likely to ultimately achieve success when we keep trying (especially when compared to giving up!).
- Learning: There are so many lessons in life we will never learn if we don’t make the mistakes to learn from.
- New understanding: We gain new perspectives on old problems
New discoveries:Unanticipated results can spark new and innovative ideas. - Clarification: We get to hone our understanding of how things work, what we want and what’s really important.
I believe that a person who fails according to the world’s standards, but continues working from there should be celebrated. They exhibit an exceptional strength of character. Not only do they benefit from their experience, but that experience might also benefit many other people.
What is a failure, other than just a learning opportunity? As it turns out, the world doesn’t give out prizes in life for getting it right the first time anyway. So try, try, try again.
