Failure, my friend.

Ahh, failure, my old friend. 

I hate you.

I love you.

The epitome of a love-hate relationship.

You are what motivates me to try again. To learn from my mistakes and grow as an individual. You push me out of my comfort zone and force me to confront my fears. You have a way of making every mistake into a teachable moment, allowing me to understand that I am in control of my own destiny.

The Stoics teach us to focus on what we can control, accept whatever happens with equanimity, and remember that failure is a natural part of achieving success. 

"What stands in the way becomes the way."

This is easier accepted in principle than it is to practice.

Sometimes, I feel like a fraud and don't deserve success or recognition. But then I remind myself, how can I expect to succeed if I never take risks and try new things? Failure is a natural part of the process, allowing us to learn, grow, and improve. Each failure we experience helps us build resilience and develop a more effective approach; that's how we become successful.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." — Thomas Edison

This speaks to the importance of perseverance and never giving up. We should remember that failure is a part of learning and growth, and it is only by facing our fears and trying again that we can progress in life.

Learning and growth are inseparable from the experience of failure.

When you fail, you can get caught up in disappointment, frustration, shame, or embarrassment, like the world is against you. But, if instead you take a step back and look at the bigger picture—the long game—you can reframe your failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Remembering Edison’s quote is a reminder that no matter how many times you fail, it's the progress from those failures that will help lead to success.

The Stoics believed, “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.”

As Michael Jordan once said, "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

I've learned through my own experiences that failure is not an end but a beginning. Failure is a crucial building block of success, and each failure brings me one step closer to becoming a better version of myself.

We become stronger and more resilient by embracing failure, just like Jordan did. We learn not to fear failure but instead see it as a valuable source of learning.

Muhammad Ali said, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life," and embracing failure is a part of that courage. Failure is not a setback but an opportunity to grow and improve.

Failure is inevitable; success is not.

This doesn't mean you should take risks recklessly, but don't fear taking a chance.

Embrace it.

I use every opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes on my journey toward success. Like many professional athletes, I remember the losses more than the wins. They stay in my head. For better or worse. Each failure (and there are countless) has taught me something new.

“There is no success without failure. The greatest successes in life come after surviving through failures.”

So, failure and I have something in common… we are both essential ingredients for success.

And while it may not be pleasant, I will continue to embrace my failures as learning.

Failure is an essential part of the process, and as odd as it might sound, I welcome it with open arms. 

Thank you for being a loyal companion, my old friend.