Failure Required

When we picture success, we usually imagine the highlight reel—big wins, breakthrough moments, and goals achieved. What we don’t often see are the missteps, wrong turns, and failed attempts that paved the way to that success. The truth? Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the foundation of it.

Why We Fear Failure (and Why That’s a Problem)

From an early age, we’re taught to avoid mistakes at all costs. A wrong answer in class is embarrassing. A failed business attempt is seen as shameful. Society wires us to believe that if we fail, it’s a sign we’re not good enough.

But here’s the reality: every person you admire has failed—often more times than they’ve succeeded. Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” The only difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is the willingness to keep going after failure.

Failure as Feedback, Not Finality

Think of failure as a teacher. Every time something doesn’t work, you’ve gained valuable feedback. That job rejection? It sharpened your interview skills. That failed business idea? It taught you what the market really needs. Without those lessons, you wouldn’t be equipped for the opportunities that are ahead.

Reframing failure as feedback transforms it from something to avoid into something to embrace.

Real Success Stories Built on Failure

• Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job because he “lacked imagination.”
• Oprah Winfrey was told she was “unfit for television.”
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

What if they had stopped at those failures? None of their success stories would exist. Your story is no different—the setbacks you face today may be the very thing that fuels your breakthrough tomorrow.

How to Use Failure to Your Advantage

1. Expect it. Success rarely happens on the first try.
2. Study it. Instead of ignoring your failures, analyze them. What went wrong? What can you adjust?
3. Detach your identity. Failing at something doesn’t make you a failure.
4. Try again—smarter. Apply what you’ve learned, pivot, and move forward.

Final Thoughts: The Beauty of Failing Forward

Failure doesn’t define you—it refines you. Every stumble, every wrong turn, every moment you felt like giving up is carving out the version of you that’s strong enough to succeed. Instead of hiding from failure, lean into it. It’s proof you’re trying, learning, and growing.

At the end of the day, success is not about avoiding failure—it’s about refusing to quit because of it.