Why Failure Is Something We Shouldn’t Avoid in Our 20s

How Failure in Childhood Can Still Affect Us Now

Many people are conditioned to think that FAILURE is a bad thing.

Ok, so we’re also told that “we can learn from our mistakes” but I bet you’ve experienced WAY more encounters that associate failure with being bad vs. being good.

School for example — say you put your own spin on an assignment and stray off slightly from the rubric. Will you be praised or penalized? Chances are, you will receive a poor grade and FAIL to meet the requirements of the task…As children, we sometimes lack the maturity to understand that failing at school may have nothing to do with a lack in our creative or intellectual ability, but rather to understand the importance of following INSTRUCTIONS...This misinterpretation could also develop into playing life more safe and "by the book" because, trying new things is too RISKY.

There’s also the saying,“A jack of all trades is a master of none…” (which I know is not the entire saying, but this portion is what MOST of us only heard as children.) This saying, adds another facet onto why it’s not ok to be mediocre or bad at something. Now, if you heard the ENTIRE saying, maybe a light bulb will start to turn on…

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

What Does It Really Mean to Be Afraid of Failure?

To be afraid of failure, means you limit your potential. You believe that only certain things are meant for you, and that others are IMPOSSIBLE to thrive in. Sure, maybe it's not for you in the sense that it brings zero excitement into your life... but does that mean you're incapable of being successful at it? Uhhhh, NO!

But just for good measure, let's say you’re not going to be good at it. There’s another lesson in that too. Sometimes, what’s more important is how the activity makes you FEEL, rather than what the outcome makes you look like.

How to Break This Belief System

The easiest way to break a belief system is by knocking down the supporting legs of it.. BAM!

This is your task:

Journal about WHY you are afraid to fail. Do you have any further beliefs, which support the umbrella of being afraid to fail? Could they be FALSE? Could they have just been a way to stay safe as a child without having the tools like you do today?

Next, write empowering beliefs of why failing is something you should rather accept and surrender to:

• Failing allows us to know what’s not right for us, so that we can BUILD a life that is.

• Failing strengthens our willpower and perseverance to be more resilient in the future.

• Failing is a message that bumps us back on the path aligned with our PURPOSE.

• Failing makes you realize winning isn’t everything.

Imagine living your life without worrying about how you will be perceived…That’s living right there. Start the journey today.