Failure: Better Than You Think

To strike out on your own to learn new things is a scary proposition.  Often this is because we are afraid of failure. And I know the fear of ridicule is sometimes intense. Failure is positive, though, because it allows us to take a look at how to accomplish something and find better ways.

Penicillin was found because someone failed to keep the office clean. New continents were found because someone did not understand that they could not sail directly to India. And we have new ways to look from the Earth to the stars because somebody failed to tell a bunch of grad students it could not be done. Failure is a faithful ally on the road to discovering new things.

Others warn us of failure because they mean well, and sometimes just because they are mean.  We need to understand that failure does exist. And we should have a plan for when we find something that does not work correctly. After all, it will not be the end of the road; it is, instead, a starting point for new ideas and discoveries.

Not everyone can find failure, and that means not everyone can find new ways to do something better. When somebody picks on you for finding a problem, smile at them, and remember that there is still hope that they may also find their failure; so that they too may find the solutions they seek.

Remember, each failure you encounter, shows that you are actually moving in a direction. And in not being stagnant, you are one more step closer to finding the answer you seek. After all, how many different light bulbs did Mr. Eddison try before he found the one that worked?

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof