Can You Risk Failure in Order to Succeed?

“I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I’ve lost almost three hundred 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.” ~ Michael Jordan

Have you ever worked hard for something, only to have it fail? Perhaps you counted on a contract to be signed but it wasn’t, or maybe you were banking on a promotion at work and it didn’t happen. Maybe you took a final exam only to end up with a lower mark than you hoped for.

How do you deal with these “failures”?

If you are like many, you may feel disheartened, annoyed or upset. Perhaps you wish you could turn back time and do something different.

The fact is, these failures are there for a reason. They help you to learn so that you make a different choice or take a different action the next time. They help you to gain knowledge so that next time, you can be successful.

Many incredibly successful people have endured huge failures in order to get where they are. The quote above from Michael Jordan is just one example. Donald Trump went bankrupt more than once in order to get where he is today.

Sometimes there is a big risk in taking the next step towards success. Whether it involves money, time or self-esteem, it is a step that you sometimes must take. 

I don’t advocate being wreckless with your money or your self-esteem (or your parenting strategies), but if you weigh the risks, and decide you can deal with the failure (if it were to occur), then it may be worth taking the leap.

What is holding you back from great success? Can you step forward and risk even greater success?