"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan

In our last two newsletters we spoke about the importance of knowing our purpose, the first step towards becoming the best version of ourselves. Doing deep introspection, assessing our values and beliefs and identifying our strengths and weaknesses is a part of knowing our purpose. We also spoke about self-compassion and cutting yourself some slack. This is by far one of the hardest things to do because we are our harshest critic and we often fail to offer the same graces; self-compassion, forgiveness, empathy, and kindness we give to others to ourselves. We also spoke about discovering the real you; your likes and dislikes and the impact you want to have on your environment, the people around you and by extension the world.

So what comes next on this journey of self-discovery?

The next step is to realize you might not make it. Yup, really.

Failure is common for those who want to be the best version of themselves.

During my childhood, I perceived failure as a negative occurrence. It was a situation that I tried to steer clear of or conceal if it occurred. However, after examining the lives of numerous successful individuals, I understand that this mindset has significantly impeded my progress toward achieving my ultimate potential.

Everyone encounters failure at some point in their life. However, only a few individuals can learn from it and utilize their experience to become more successful. As a result, attempting to evade situations that could result in failure is expected, as it can be an uncomfortable and agonizing experience. But what exactly constitutes failure?

Failure can be defined as the inability to achieve success or meet a set expectation.

One issue is that we assign more significance to failure. We frequently associate it with our personal values, confidence, and self-image. This leads to situations where the standard we fall short of is often self-imposed or one that we've constructed in our minds.

Many individuals do not intend to fail in their endeavours and dread being labelled as failures. However, viewing failure as an opportunity for growth may be beneficial. We can acquire new knowledge and insights through losses and improve upon our past mistakes. Failures that provide valuable information and teach us something can bring us closer to achieving our objectives. Some individuals believe that "taking big enough risks means experiencing failure." In other words, if everything you attempt goes according to plan and feels comfortable, you may not be challenging yourself. Therefore, it’s essential to test yourself to foster growth.

Throughout my life, I have lived in fear. This fear has limited me and kept me from venturing outside my comfort zone. I have missed countless opportunities simply because I wanted to avoid failure or looking foolish. However, it is widely known that growth comes from taking risks and trying new things. Even the brilliant Albert Einstein once said, "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried." I challenge you to confront your fears and step outside your comfort zone. You can develop new skills, discover new passions, and experience personal growth by taking risks.

I used to feel disappointed when I didn't succeed at something. Despite my best efforts, there were times when I fell short, and it was tough on me. I wrongly believed that my failures defined me, making me think I wasn't good enough. Now, I understand that failure is simply a way to learn and grow and is a necessary part of achieving success. So whenever I fail, I see it as a step toward my goal.

Here is the big one…Keeping My Failures a Secret..tada

I used to have a bad habit of not acknowledging my failures. Whenever I didn't succeed at something, I would hide it and act like it never happened. This mindset prevented me from growing and learning from my mistakes. Acknowledging and learning from our failures is crucial because they can be valuable opportunities to improve. Samuel Smiles once said, "We gain wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will work by first discovering what won't."

Take time to celebrate both your successes and failures.

Achieving success confirms the accuracy of your skills and plan, while failures present chances for growth and flexibility in your strategy.

As for me, this year saw me accomplishing some of my goals while adjusting to a few others and experiencing several setbacks.

How has your year been so far?