I'm Slowly Learning Failures Are Stepping Stones

I’m Slowly Learning Failures Are Stepping Stones

Sure, it sucks when you don’t get what you want. It sucks when you’re told you aren’t good enough. It sucks when you’re left wondering whether you could have done better. But your failures aren’t proof you should give up, go home, and never try again. Your failures are proof you cared about something enough to try even though there was a chance you could fail.

I’m slowly learning most people aren’t going to take unnecessary risks. They’re going to play it safe at every possible turn in order to remain inside their comfort zone and protect their heart, their bank account, and their dignity. If you cared about something enough to take a leap, then you should be proud of yourself. You should call yourself courageous.

It’s not always easy to take risks — and it’s not easy to bounce back after you fail. But you have to remember one misstep doesn’t have to be the end of the line. Your failures don’t have to be excuses to give up. They can be encouragement to keep going, to try again, to learn from your mistakes and see where those lessons can lead you.

You have to stop thinking of your failures purely as negatives. You don’t have to pretend you’re excited about your failure, because disappointment is a natural response, but you shouldn’t assume your failure is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you either.

Failure means you believed in yourself enough to take a chance. Failure means you learned a little more about what works and what doesn’t work. Most importantly, failure means you were brave enough to try. And if you tried once, you can do it again. Next time, you’ll be better prepared. You’ll be more knowledgeable. You’ll have a better grasp on the situation.

I’m slowly learning you have to stop acting so ashamed of your failures. Instead of treating them as mistakes you’ve made, you should treat them as stepping stones toward success.

When it comes down to it, there’s a low chance you’re going to succeed on your first attempt at anything. If you want to reach a place where you can call yourself successful, you need to keep going. And going. And going.

Talent doesn’t mean anything without persistence. If you give up now, then you’re never going to see what you’re capable of achieving. You’re never going to know whether you could have made something of yourself.

I’m slowly learning how dangerous it is to act as your own biggest critic. If you want to succeed, then you need to have faith in yourself even when you have doubts, even when you feel lost and alone, even when you aren’t entirely sure what the hell you’re doing.

You need to trust yourself. You need to believe in yourself. You need to convince yourself that if you keep trying your hardest, if you keep pouring effort into what matters the most to you, then one day your failures are going to turn into successes.  Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Holly is the author of Severe(d): A Creepy Poetry Collection.

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