In the early days, I viewed failure through a destructive lens that had me giving up on so many potential opportunities. Those decisions had some longstanding implications for the person I would eventually become. I won’t say that I finally understand how powerful failure can be. I do understand enough to share my findings.
Rock bottom can be a beginning, not an end.
For those of us who’ve had the experience of a rock-bottom situation, we know how easy it is to get caught up in the defeat, pain, and hurt, that it’s almost impossible to see another opportunity opening up.
It feels like the end but it’s not, far from it.
The act of hitting rock-bottom comes with a strange and unintended side-effect - a sense of freedom. With nothing more to lose, we have a foundation to work from. One that has taught us we can handle the worst life can throw at us and still keep going.
Knowing that we can’t sink any deeper than we already have, we can move with less hesitancy. We have nothing to lose, so we can pursue our goals with aggression.
When you are wading waist-deep in the shit, It’s not easy thinking you have an advantage, especially if this is the lowest point in your life. Telling yourself, you’re not suffering doesn’t work either. Acceptance of your situation is a good thing; just know there is a way out, and you will find it. Promise yourself that.
Attitude is everything.
Another thing the rock bottom teaches you is how to simplify your life. When you start picking yourself up from the ground, you’ll find that the fall has eliminated the superfluous nik-nak’s that you thought were essential. You begin to see what is truly important and know you have a responsibility to travel lightly on your way up. You can’t be nimble if you’re weighed down with baggage.
Shed the excess and keep it simple.
Our society has a toxic relationship with failure, but it’s not the disaster the media makes it out to be. No matter what they say, failure is never permanent. The reality is if you’re willing to learn from your setbacks, you’ll be able to bounce back.
To this day, my work is rejected, but I’ve built a framework around it that empowers me to learn and keep stepping. Failure is life’s way of allowing us to auto-correct as we inevitably stray off course.
Why is it that the great and the good throughout history have tried and failed the most? It's because they have attempted the most. Failure is inevitable. How you deal with it is up to you.
Learn from it and grow.
