#WCW = We Can Wednesday: After Failure

Wouldn't life be so much easier if we succeeded in everything we set out to do?  We'd set goals, achieve them, give out high fives, and move on to the next item on life's "To Do List".  

Seems like that would be a fantastic way to live. To never know the sting of failure, the crushing defeat in the word "no".  There would only be win, after win, after win, no matter what (shout out to T-Pain).  Seems like that would be amazing. 

Fortunately for us we live in reality, where we are blessed to experience both "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat," as described by the Wide World of Sports/ Wu Tang Clan.  Sometimes things don't work out the way we've envisioned.  Failure is real and it happens.  For most of us, it happens often.  The question is, is failure always a bad thing? 

As the saying goes, we plan and God laughs.  I'm not of the impression that God is sitting on his throne having a hearty chuckle every time things don't go our way.  What I do think, however, is that when we fail God is allowing us to learn from the experience in order to grow into who we are destined to be.  

After failure...

When we make the effort to achieve a goal yet fall short, this is what we know: 

1. At least you tried - Yup! You did it! You put yourself out there and tried something, no matter what it is.  Don't ever discount the courage it took for you to try.  You started something, and hopefully now you have the courage to try again!

2.  You learned a whole lot - Congratulations! Welcome to trial and error.  Now you know what worked, what didn't, and what you can do better next time.  Use this knowledge to your advantage.  Make changes to your approach, your attitude, your technique and TRY AGAIN!!

3. You're a stronger person for it - Failure does hurt.  It's disappointing. It sets you back.  It's one of the hardest things that we go through in life.  Be it the end of a business venture that went bad, or a diet that didn't work out, or even the end of a relationship; you survived. No matter the magnitude of the failure, there is strength in survival.   You have been made stronger, and that's a good thing. 

After failure comes freedom.  Freedom to start over, freedom to try again.  

Going forward, let's look at failure with new eyes, not as a disappointment, but as a new opportunity.  

Here's another chance, go for it!! 

Love, Tev