Last night, during a class that I am taking, the teacher asked us all to think of a failure in our life. “OK,” I thought, “I don’t usually like to dwell in this place, but I’ve got one.” Then she asked us to write down at least 10 good things that had happened in our lives because of that failure.
I took a deep breath and started writing about a failure that changed my life. Quickly I had written 5 good things, then 10, and finally 15 good things that came from that failure.
Wow! That’s a lot of good.
“There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient.”
― Sivananda Saraswati
Try it, now, before you read any further.
Did you find 5 good things, 10, 15, or more, that came from something you call a failure in your life?
I tried it again this morning with another failure that was very difficult for me. This time I was able to list 8 good things that came from that failure.
In both cases, as I reflected on the failures, I realized that I was glad that the failures happened. Sometimes when you’re off track in your life, something happens to show you how far you have strayed from your path.
“When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
― Paulo Coelho, Brida
Finding the courage to look at our failures and learn from them can give us courage to do things we are afraid of. My favorite questions to ask myself when I am afraid of doing something is, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” and “Can I live with that?” Usually the answer is “Yes!”
“I’d learned enough from life’s experiences to understand that destiny’s interventions can sometimes be read as invitation for us to address and even surmount our biggest fears. It doesn’t take a great genius to recognize that when you are pushed by circumstance to do the one thing you have always most specifically loathed and feared, this can be, at the very least, an interesting growth opportunity.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage
The gifts of failure may take time to reveal themselves, but they are there if you look for them.
May you walk in beauty.
Dragonfly Gardening
Wind-swept flowers
Giant in the Fairy Garden
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