What Failure Is 

It is important to know the difference between permanent failure and temporary failure.  Most people never make that distinction.  They allow the normal setbacks, that are designed and allowed into our lives to push us along and make us grow, to become life altering and destroying events.  They allow these things to sap their energy, and destroy their dreams.  They allow bitterness and resentment into their lives. 

Failure is giving up.  Failure is taking the lumps and pains that have come your way and crawling in a hole somewhere to feel sorry for yourself.  Failure is a way for you to create excuses for not becoming who God wants you to be. 

Dictionary.com defines failure as: a subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency.  These definitions center around a “lack of success.”  They are created by a troubled world that does not understand real success and the steps that are needed to create that success.  For the purposes of this program and for your purposes, if you really want success in your life, you should understand what real failure is.  Failure in life, the real and permanent failure that so many people experience on a regular basis, even as a way of life, is caused by giving up or not even starting in the first place.  To make it simple, real failure is sin.  You are taking this perfect creation (You) and not fulfilling your potential or destiny.  Too many people believe that if they experience loss or setbacks then they are failures.  That is the sad state of society today.  However, you don’t have to live with that belief any longer.  

Hopefully you have already begun to ask yourself, “How do I overcome failure then?”  Good question!  There is a simple answer; give yourself permission to fail!  One of the guiding beliefs that I have designed my life around is that it is impossible to fail.  If I just continue to move forward, even if it’s an inch at a time, I will eventually reach my destination.   It is important to remember, that even if you move forward by an inch, there may be circumstances that put you back 10 feet!  Just pick yourself up and start again.  It has been said and very appropriately, that “most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all”v.  That is true of this program, my life, and if you let it, your life too!  

One final note on failure, do not pursue perfection!  This is the surest path to a lifetime of frustration and real failure.  You cannot achieve perfection!  There are probably so many great ideas out there in people’s minds, but because they want it to be “perfect” their projects never get off the ground.  I am not saying that you should be sloppy or haphazard in your work; just don’t wait until everything is perfect before you move forward, otherwise you may be waiting a long time. 

For much of my life I had always thought of failure in a negative way.  I thought failure was this horrible monster that was to be avoided at any and all costs.  Wow, was I wrong.  I have learned that failure, if used properly is actually a stepping stone of success.

Michael at R2W