Another Post About Failure....[Because It's Really Important]

In November 2021, Ed Sheeran was interviewed by Nessa from Hot 97 . As they discussed his incredible successes, he said the best piece of advice he could give to upcoming artists is this:

?“You can’t learn anything from success…, you learn everything from failure. The reason I am where I am today is because I’ve constantly failed and constantly learned how to not fail next time….Nowadays…people are scared to fail, but to learn how to succeed, you have to fail…You have to always pick yourself up and dust yourself off and go for it….You don’t know how many times I’ve failed [by looking at] how many times I’ve succeeded…Accept that the failures will come…that’s the journey…”

Failure...an uninvited guest. It is a word that strikes fear and insecurity into the hearts of many, as society tends to associate it with embarrassment, disappointment, and defeat. Yet, failure is an integral part of the human experience.

The fear of failure is deeply rooted in societal pressures and the desire to avoid humiliation and rejection. Something that is exacerbated by the age of social media.

However, some of the greatest success stories in history are riddled with failures. From Thomas Edison's countless attempts before inventing the lightbulb to Michael Jordan's numerous missed shots on the basketball court, to, yes, Ed Sheeran, who started out his incredibly successful career by busking and often having to “couch surf” as he found himself without a place to stay for a time.

Failure is an inseparable companion on the journey to triumph, precisely because of the lessons that it teaches. It provides an opportunity for introspection and self-discovery. Failure forces us to re-evaluate our strategies, acknowledge our weaknesses, and identify areas for improvement. Each failure is an opportunity; a chance to gain insight into our actions, our reactions and to refine our approaches.

In essence, the experience of failure can be breathtakingly painful, embarrassing, humbling…but above all, it is a necessary catalyst for progress. Failure is not a sign of weakness, but rather a testament to the courage it takes “to always pick yourself up and dust yourself off and go for it...”?