At the end of knowledge, wisdom begins, and at the end of wisdom, there is not grief…but hope. -Lloyd Alexander
I love the quiet arrival of wisdom. Wisdom whispers frequently and often, but to hear its words properly we must align ourselves to be open to listening. Today, over a cup of coffee with my friend Morgan, wisdom found me. In a simple statement about goals, she hit on something powerful about failure that challenged the way I think about success. In speaking of her businesses, she said that she “defines her success by the amount of failure she’s had.” Taken aback with the depth of her philosophy, I literally stopped her mid-conversation to write down what she had said.
I have always thought about failure as a cul-de-sac on the road to success, but never ventured to claim my failures as benchmarks for my actual progress towards a goal… and I just love this idea. Failures are not just bumps in the road, they are necessary opportunities for growth. Instead of running from life and from fear of failure what would happen if you pursued failure wholeheartedly? Change the way you see failure and you will change the way you achieve your goals, for you will understand that failures are launchpads for growth, redirection and ultimately, success.