embrace failure

Well, I already have the goal of make opportunities out of my difficulties so I’m thinking to keep this goal separate is a bit redundant. I have also done work on this goal and have made progress! When I fail at something I now look for what I can learn from it and that is definitely a way to “embrace” the reality that everyone fails in one way or another- it’s what you do about it that means the most :)

I really think I did this on Saturday. I had a setback but I let it propel me into reestablishing myself in better habits and being more reflective so I see which bad habits can lead me in the wrong direction and just how damaging those unwise decisions can be because eventually they inevitably lead to setbacks.

I failed to help a family member today. It started out well but then it went terribly wrong. I got my feelings hurt and lost my temper. So far I have learned nothing from the experience so now I will try to embrace this failure and see if it helps give me new perspective.

I think it may be helpful to take on a more playful approach to failure. Instead of looking at it as if I failed a test I will rather see it as an opportunity to play detective and find out what part of my system didn’t work for me and simply change it. Getting to know myself is a trial and error type of situation. If every scientist through their hands up in the air after an experiment failed there would not be so many advances as we have (nor would we have any more scientists). I need to take myself less seriously and have a little fun figuring out what works for me. I am going to need a sense of humor if I am ever going to make all the changes I wish to make. I’m gonna take it one step at a time :)

Recently I failed and wanted to understand how to embrace failure when the particular failure was a sin. I found I was able to embrace it by not being overly shocked at my own human weaknesses and trying to take a more humble approach to sin. Instead of beating myself up when I was already feeling down, I tried to focus rather, on letting God lift me up and never forgetting that God’s goodness and mercy are infinitely greater than my sins.

I have spent a lot of time playing it safe and doing what I know I’m good at. I am a natural at a number of things which can actually backfire if no one is there to warn you. You can easily rest on your laurels and not grow. Growth requires the risk of failure and just because you fail at something once or it doesn’t come as easily to you doesn’t mean that you couldn’t get really good at it if you worked hard at it. I have unfortunately, always had an, “it’s not worth it” attitude that I am only now starting to reevaluate. I have closed a lot of doors unnecessarily and have concluded that I am no good at certain things when in actuality I have no idea if that is truly the case. To assume that the things you are meant to be good at will come easily to you is actually very limiting and is really no way to live. I am ready for a new adventure…