What connotations does ‘Failure’ bring up for you?

On a recent stunning sydney arvo I caught up with a dear friend and recalled how the failure of a previous business has been the most valuable experience.

For a couple of years I’ve just been grateful – Supremely Grateful – to not be in that situation anymore… getting out of that business, I lost a lot of money AND I gained my life back.

I learnt what I absolutely will not tolerate and also what is most important to me.

Beyond that I learnt to back myself AND also that giving something a go and not succeeding does not define me… it does not make me a failure… it does show me that I get another chance to back myself and give it a go again.

There is no failure only feedback.

Your learnings from past experiences will create your present and future success.

So often I hear how past ‘failures’ limit people from giving 100% to achieving their health goal.  Before they even start they have the hand-brake on – the “I didn’t give it my best shot so it doesn’t count” clause.

Is it safer to hold onto the dream – the Fantasy – than to truly give it your all?

Yep, it’s safer.  It’s also going to keep you stuck at status quo.

When you know that you can come back from ‘failure’ – that it’s only final if you choose to give up… That makes limitless potential – or Freedom – available to you.

If you commit to sticking to a plan you trust – planning your meals and eating the best fuel… exercising consistently, lifting weights and just moving 6 days a week… and it doesn’t work?

It’s not like that was your only chance and now it’s ‘game over’, the simple fact is:

You get another chance to give it a go again.  And Again.  AND AGAIN.

For as long as it’s important to you, You Get Another Go.

To allow the fear of failure to keep you stuck… frustrated, when you know things could and should be better… is to give up control.  If you’re a bit of a control freak (speaking for myself here) then I imagine the need for control of yourself and of your actions, is a fairly powerful fuel to put fear in it’s place.

For absolute victory over fear and true appreciation that there is no failure, I give you gratitude. The antidote to fear is gratitude, because you simply cannot feel both at the same time.  Try it.

Think of something that makes you truly fearful.

Immerse yourself in those feelings of fear.  Completely.  Everything that you can see, hear and feel as you think of that thing that makes you fearful.  (not for long – for the purpose of this example please do it though)

And now, I’d like you to think of something, or perhaps someone that you are truly grateful for… as you picture this person and see clearly all that makes them unique and special to you… and you hear what they’re saying… and feel thankful – an immense gratitude to have them in your life… as you are seeing, hearing and feeling all of this – can you tell me where the fear has gone?

🙂

Perhaps that’s why I found it so easy to feel no fear at starting again. I was so overwhelmingly grateful to be out of a situation that was supremely-restrictive-and-just-not-fun, that the gratitude squeezed out my fear!

Ok.  That’s my biggest ‘failure’ that has also been my most valuable learning.  Thankfully, sharing our experiences can sometimes save us going through each ‘failure’ personally…if you’re game to share I’d love to hear your experience and what you gained from it?