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“All life is an experiment.

The more experiments you make the better.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The word “failure” gets a bad rap. We try to avoid it at all costs. We often prefer to stay in our comfort zones…..keep doing what we know we can do.

But failure (unless you’re skydiving or something similar) is not fatal. It simply means that we tried something and it didn’t work out. What is so bad about that?

I have two young granddaughters……when the oldest was learning to walk and she took her first step and fell down, we sure didn’t describe it as a failure. We cheered her on! And Grace certainly didn’t decide that she was not cut out for “this walking thing”. Heck no!! She kept walking and falling until she got the hang of it.

What if scientists were afraid to fail? Edison failed over 1,000 times before getting it right on the light bulb. Wilbur and Orville Wright failed many times over multiple years before they achieved success. I guarantee you Tom, Wilbur and Orville didn’t sit around and say, “I’m going to wait until I know with absolute certainty that this light bulb is going to work or this glider thing is actually going to fly before I try again.”

Today, change your relationship to the word “fail”. Instead of being afraid of it, welcome it. And most importantly …..learn from it and get better from it. Realize that “failing” means you pushed yourself to your limits and that is the only way you can expand what is possible for you. Look at new opportunities as an experiment and if a method doesn’t work, you try another and another and another until that light bulb goes on or your glider flies!!