“In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure.”
– OG Mandino, ‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’
If you have felt like failure is an all-too familiar friend, you’re not alone. Failure, as we know it, is a very real part of life. Failure has presented itself in a plethora of life-packages: as a parent, amidst a career, as a homeowner, as a caretaker, during student-life, throughout ministering opportunities, amidst peer interactions, and in countless other circumstances and with countless other people. 
Regardless of the failure, it hurts and it is hard. It can be a blow to your ego, your life and sometimes even your dreams. Failure, that unwanted friend, seems to repeatedly show its face far too many times throughout life.
“If I haven’t failed once, I’ve failed a thousand times.”
Why then doesn’t failure get easier? And why do I actually, sometimes, feel like a failure? I guess because … I am a failure?! Am I really? Was I born to fail? Was I given gifts, talents, knowledge, and shoot, another day to live just to be a failure?
There is a little secret that is hidden by the rain clouds looming over our head amidst the failure storm … This is it .. are you ready?
Going through ‘failure’ isn’t really failure.
Failure is the opportunity for life to teach us a new way to live, to see new opportunities, to think differently.
Failure is not a stopping, end all point. Sure, it puts us in a place of humility, reflection, even sorrow … and sometimes, I’m sure you know these moments like we know these moments, the big ugly cry. But does that mean failure is really failure after all? No.
Failure is actually barren ground for success. A gardener can’t begin to grow an apple tree without getting down on the ground and getting dirty. But let’s be honest here. Success can’t come just because we have a moment of failure. Ultimately, that gardener will have no tree, no fruit, no shade, no real joy in his work, if the habit to care for the tree is never there. That means…
Success is all in the habit.
Get back up. Dust yourself off. And start again. And work. And learn. And grow. Learn again, start again, think differently, ask people, share your story, help others, cultivate, love, be humble, rest … And keep doing it. All. Over. Again. And again! The fruit will come. Success is there – both in the journey and the destination. It’s all a success. Because you are not a failure. When circumstances ‘fail’, because they will, remind yourself as was written in the ancient scrolls (via the wise Hafid):
“Today I begin a new life.”
And then grab life by the pitchfork … and begin again. And if you need one more bit of support: We get you. We all get you. Keep going! You got this! Success is who you were born to be. Success is what you were born to do. Success is yours.
We’d love you know your success story.
Share with us in a comment below!