"Failure is a feeling that overwhelms us long before it becomes an actual result. It is vulnerable, filled with doubt and then escalates, often on purpose, with the help of fear," former first lady Michelle Obama described the failure in her autobiography Becoming. Fear of failure is the brake that prevents us from even starting. It is an obstacle that makes us afraid to go on the journey. But it is also something that is completely possible to get rid of.
Failure is a concept that each of us interprets in our own way. Some associate it with sports, others with business, but for everyone it sounds like a disappointment and a fall. But even failures are a part of life, especially if we often dare and step out of our comfort zone. And that is what keeps us alive. Fear of failure is often associated with disapproval from others. Indeed, many hesitate before opportunities because they are afraid of what others will think. We feel the shame that will come when we fail and things don't go as planned, instead of feeling the pride that will come when we succeed.
Success stories about failure
Success stories are inextricably linked with a lot of ups and downs. Who does not know the anecdote about Walt Disney, who was fired by an editor for lack of imagination and good ideas. When he first pitched Mickey Mouse to MGM studios in 1927, he was told that it wouldn't work because women might be intimidated by the giant mouse on the screen. Today, Disney characters are known around the world, and Walt created an empire without comparison. It is no different with the story of the famous Oprah Winfrey, who was fired because she was not suitable for television. Oprah, ladies and gentlemen! Today, she has created her own television empire, unprecedented. Let's also mention that Steven Spielberg was rejected from director's school three times, and Michael Jordan was kicked out of the school's basketball team. It was the latter who said about the failure: "I missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. Lost almost 300 games. I missed the last winning throw 26 times. I experienced a lot of falls and that's the reason I succeeded."
Experts are convinced that we must put our core values before failure. We must realize that our anchoring in the values we have is stronger than the desire to avoid mistakes. Quite a few directors of large and successful companies have thus admitted that when they fail, they always think of their family, their loved ones. Because the failure of their love and belonging never wavers. Excellence is setting yourself a goal, if you fail to achieve it, you must know how to reset your expectations and set a new one.
Browsing for failures online, we came across some advice on how successful people feel about failure:
Failure is not the opposite of success
Failure is the opposite of trying at all. Thanks to the fear of failure in life, we often stagnate, we resist the desire to change. According to the experts of Forbes magazine, the biggest failure is not trying at all. Of course, it's not easy if we strive for a goal and don't achieve it, and it's even worse if we don't try at all. Successful people try all the time, so failures do not derail them, because success can appear in the next moment.
Embrace the fear
Successful people are brave enough to embrace fear, but smart enough not to pay too much attention to it. Brave people play to win, but scared people just pray not to lose. Failure is not the worst thing that can happen to you in life. Failure should not be scoffed at, and is therefore an essential component on the path to an honest and fulfilling life. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the state in which we accept our fears and move forward in spite of them.
Failure as a possible consequence
Successful people realize that failure can be a result of their performance, so they accept it. If success is our only option, then failure is more likely, because creativity and innovation, according to Forbes, do not have to thrive in the land of fear and perfection. Not only do successful people embrace failure, they are also willing to take the risk of success. These include sacrifice, discipline, and stepping outside your comfort zone.
