The Beauty Of Failure: Growth Through Failing

There is no such thing as failure. For as long as life exists and time continues to be infinite, failure is impossible. There is a finality the word failure carries that is at odds with the human experience. Human evolution was only made possible through the ongoing journey of experimentation and change. Failure, however, is a destination: it confines us, but only if we accept it. Failing, on the other hand, puts us on the path of new knowledge and potential. Because when we fail, we have the potential to learn from it. For those in pursuit of their big dreams, we must embrace failing and use it to create change.

Failing is a verb. It is an evolution, a change from one state to another—an outcome from effort invested. Think about the scientific process. You start with a thesis, you test it out, and see if it works. In these instances, a negative outcome doesn’t mean you stop the experiment. It is a sign of progress. Failing is a gift that unravels new ways of thinking, of doing, and of manifesting. Failing is how modern civilization was built and how great leaders are shaped.

Abraham Lincoln, a President who Failed

To many historians and scholars, Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the most successful American presidents. Yet this brooding orator’s career was shaped by how he embraced failing and grew from it. In 1831, he first announced his candidacy for a seat in the Illinois state legislature. He lost that race by a couple of hundred votes. In 1843, he sought nomination for U.S. Congress and failed. In 1854, he ran for U.S. Senate and was defeated. Yet despite all these setbacks, he ran for the highest political office in the land in 1856 and won. On March 4th, 1861, he was sworn in as the sixteenth president of the United States of America. Lincoln’s career as a politician was an unusual trajectory defined by relentless failing. Yet, today, we know that it was Lincoln’s leadership that held this country together during the Civil War. While Lincoln failed many times, no one would ever call him a failure.

At the root of this topic is the question: How do you define failure? We must be ready to unlearn everything we know about failure. In fact, everything we have been taught is the opposite of what we need to succeed. What parameters are you using to define your output? Which lens are you deploying to view your input? On what stage are you showcasing your creation? Each effort or output is progress, even if the outcome isn’t the desired one. And progress is success. No one can define your journey except you. And since failure is impossible, what will you do now?