HJ: The belief in failure is a misperception of the true nature of reality. The concept of failing is inherently judgmental and dualistic and it implies that one can do something wrong or incorrect, which is a fallacy. We have experiences in this life to learn, grow, and better understand ourselves and our spiritual nature. In that context, how can one truly fail? Everything we experience, whether we perceive it as good, bad or neutral is simply an opportunity for growth and development. Therefore failure is not really failing at anything. Failure, as it is typical perceived, is just an opportunity to grow through an experience of greater challenge or adversity.
The more important concept is how do we react to and learn from perceived failures, which are really just opportunities in disguise. Do we observe, reflect, learn and grow from the ‘failure’ or do we resign in defeat, shying away from the lesson contained therein? This is all that matters, for this is where the wisdom of the situation lies. When we begin to view success and failure in this context, they both lose their emotional charge and, in fact, we learn to always be ‘successful’ in that we can quickly identify and assimilate the lessons contained within any experience. From this viewpoint, the dualistic notion of success and failure begins to vanish. It is replaced by a holistic mindset that views all challenges as opportunities for greater understanding and growth. Failure simply ceases to exist.
– Truth
Does Failure Really Exist?
By Jonathan Wells | AdvancedLifeSkills.com
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Have you ever held back on doing something because you were afraid of failure? Most people have! Let’s face it; no one likes to fail. None of us likes to feel like we’re ineffective, weak, or lacking in any way, and that’s exactly how failure makes us feel.
However, you may be surprised to know that failure doesn’t exist – until YOU say it does. In the dictionary, failure has several definitions:
1. A failing to do or perform
2. A state of inability to perform a normal function adequately
3. A fracturing or giving way under stress
4. A lack of success
Look carefully at those definitions and you’ll probably realize they have one thing in common when it comes to goal achievement:
Failure is only a type of perception
If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t. If you believe you can’t handle the pressure of achieving your goals, you can’t. If you believe you’re not successful, you aren’t. Failure only exists in your own mind! The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born.
But what if you never do that? What if you continue working toward your goals, one step at a time for as long as it takes? There’s no failure then, is there?
This insight should be very encouraging if you’ve been working toward goals and have not yet seen positive results. If you keep going and continue making whatever adjustment are needed, how can you fail?
3 tips to help you stay focused on your goals
1) Never give yourself an out. Most people give themselves an out without even realizing it. It’s called a fade out! They are willing to work hard on achieving their goals, but only until the going gets too rough or their motivation dwindles. Don’t do that! Commit to making your goals happen, no matter what! Never quit, never contemplate admitting failure, and never lose your inner determination.
2) Don’t get hooked on a specific timeframe for completion. It’s a good idea to set a general timeline, but be aware that some circumstances will be beyond your control. You can never say for sure exactly when your goal will be achieved. If you lock yourself into a very restrictive timeline, you might be setting yourself up to feel like a failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed, but then take it one day at a time and focus on making progress instead of reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.
3) Finally, be sure that you don’t view obstacles and setbacks as failures.The two are completely different. An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing: it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet. That’s it! It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals. It simply means you’re not done yet. You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way over, around, or through the obstacle.
