It’s always so much fun to come back from an awesome First Steps To Success event! I have learned so much from Dani and today, I want to share just a little bit of what I learned with you!

Today, I want to talk about FAILURE! (I know, you think I’m a little crazy for being this excited about failure… but stick with me!)

So, what are the “lessons” you and I can learn from failure? Well, here’s what I learned from my big “flop”:

1. Don’t be afraid of failure! No matter who you are, what you do, what challenge you’re overcoming or what obstacle you must push past, you WILL have “off” days! You WILL have days when you completely miss the mark! It happens!

   If you expect yourself to be 100% ON, 100% of the time, you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment and frustration. Don’t do that to yourself! Even the most successful people fail! (Dani will be the FIRST to remind you: “The road to success is paved with failures!”) And it’s true!

   So, you can either… accept it, and not be shocked or caught off-guard when failures happen, or pretend you’re the exception, and become so discouraged when you have an “off” day and just quit. So, what exactly DOES bring success? What you choose to do NEXT!

2. Just because you FAIL, it does NOT mean you are a FAILURE! Failing does not make you a failure, because what you DO, does not determine WHO YOU ARE!

   What DOES determine who you are? Well, first of all, your Father in heaven determines WHO you are. And guess what? He has called YOU to be a champion! He has given YOU everything you need to become outrageously successful. He created YOU for a purpose. He says YOU have a calling and a destiny on your life, and He is calling you OUT of the dry, broken, deserted places and INTO what He has planned for you, since before the beginning of time!

   That, my friend, is who YOU are! And just because you may fail, it does NOT make you a failure.

3. Failure is a springboard for MASSIVE GROWTH!
   It strengthens your resolve. How bad do you want it? Are you willing to put in the effort, pick yourself up after a fall, give it your best shot again and again – as many times as it takes to get to your goal? If you truly LEARN from a failure (and sometimes it has to be a really, really EPIC fail for you to truly learn), it makes you say, “I am NOT going back to THIS place again! Next time will be different!”
   
   It reveals an opportunity for improvement. It’s not about condemning yourself; it’s about correcting yourself. There’s a BIG difference. Condemnation tears down, but correction builds up. Condemnation stunts growth, but correction encourages growth. Condemnation says, “You idiot, you did it again!” Correction says, “You’ve made a mistake, but here’s how we can get better!” You actually have the ability to be the voice of correction OR the voice of condemnation, when speaking to – and about – yourself. Failure reveals an opportunity for growth… and that comes through correction.
   
   It’s an opportunity to learn something. Ask yourself these questions: “What went RIGHT? What did I improve since last time? How could I have handled this better? What should I do differently next time?” This helps you to identify the lesson inside of any failure. Because truthfully, failure can either cause you to quit, or it can spur you to learn something that will catapult you forward.

The bottom line is, even when you FAIL one day, you can still NAIL it the next day. Failure is NOT FINAL, and it doesn’t have to take you out of the game!

Don’t be surprised or caught off-guard by failure. Instead, CHOOSE to get back up and jump right back on track! CHOOSE to learn from your mistakes and failures! CHOOSE to rule your thoughts and reactions, instead of allowing them to rule you! CHOOSE to continue on the journey to success, DESPITE your failures!

We can learn SO many lessons from our failures!

Ya know, I am so grateful to have had Dani’s voice in my ear! Whether it’s been on her radio show, here in The Daily Fix or even in person at First Steps To Success, it is so inspiring to hear someone as successful as Dani get up and not only share her successes, but also her failures – all for the purpose of helping others learn from her mistakes!

Dani doesn’t mope and complain and give up every time she encounters a challenge or has an “off” day… or even a total failure! She constantly looks for lessons she can learn from each situation!

So, I encourage you to do the same, in whatever you’re working toward, whatever challenge you’re facing, or whatever failure you’ve just had. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?”

I’d love to know what lessons you have learned from your own failures. How have your mistakes and failures shaped your journey of success? How do you respond to failure? Do you get right back on track, or do you give up? Share your thoughts with us on social media! Click any of the buttons below to share and post!

Forever in YOUR corner,

Mary
DaniJohnson.com