The Mr. & Mrs. Of Failure

Good day, or bad day (if you've just faced a mammoth fail), you brilliant souls! Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Winner's Mentality, the newsletter that gives you your much-needed serving of brain fuel. I’m here to talk about the one thing you’d rather not invite to your garden party, but shows up anyway: failure. Yes, the dreaded "F-word."

But don't hit that "unsubscribe" button just yet. I'm not talking about the "You've failed, better luck next time" kind of failure; I'm talking about the "You've failed, and it's the best damn thing that could've happened to you" kind of failure.

Now, before you start thinking that this is some low-budget horror film where the only thing scarier than the monsters is the acting, let me assure you: this is prime-time drama. We're talking Emmy-worthy performances by your own neurons. The stakes? Your future happiness and success. No pressure.

The Uninvited Guest

Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Everybody fails. Every single one of us. And if someone tells you they've never tasted the bitter pill of defeat, they're either lying or they're robots sent from the future, and you should probably run. Failure is the world's most democratic experience, uniting CEOs and janitors, rock stars and groupies, in a shared narrative of stumbling and recovery. It’s the universe's way of telling you, “Congratulations, you're officially a member of the human race. Here's your membership badge. Wear it with pride."

Failure is that odd cousin who insists on snapping selfies during your most awkward moments. We’ve all met this charming entity, whether we like it or not. You know, the one that asks intrusive questions when you’re trying to enjoy your grandma’s secret spaghetti recipe? Yep, that’s failure for you, always eager to turn your comfort zone into a psychological minefield.

Dueling Mindsets

There’s not just one, but two monsters lurking in those mental recesses. That's right, two distinct attitudes towards failure are battling it out for dominion over your gray matter. Meet Mr. 'Oh Crap, I Failed' and Mrs. 'Oh Wow, What Did I Learn?' Yeah, they're married. It's complicated.

Oh Crap, I Failed!

So let's start with Mr. 'Oh Crap, I Failed,' shall we? Imagine him as a guy who wears beige — lots of it. He's the type who hears the word "failure" and instinctively reaches for a stress ball, as if squeezing the life out of it would change the past. In his world, failure is the Night King, an abomination that turns every golden opportunity into a shambling corpse of regret. For him, failure is not just an event; it's an identity.

He wanders around in a cloud of dread, always anxious about the next stumble, the next face-plant. He's the author of his life's story, but he's writing with a pen that's running out of ink, on pages made of tissue paper. His narrative is a sequence of unfortunate events, and he's the hapless protagonist, always at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a sad tale, but remember, he's only half the equation.

Oh Wow, What Did I Learn!

Enter Mrs. 'Oh Wow, What Did I Learn?' She's the polar opposite. Picture her with a wardrobe that screams color; her life is a canvas splashed with vibrant hues of experience. Where her husband sees dread, she sees discovery. In her world, failure is a treasure map with 'X's marking not the spots to avoid, but the spots to excavate. "Dig here," the map says, "and unearth the jewels of wisdom buried beneath the rubble of your mistakes."

For her, failure is like a demanding but fair professor at the University of Life, handing out tough assignments that make you grumble but also make you smarter. She doesn't just endure failure; she celebrates it. She breaks out the confetti, pops open the champagne, and dances on the ruins of her failed attempts, knowing that each dance step is a step toward mastery.

It's worth noting that Mrs. 'Oh Wow, What Did I Learn?' doesn't just fail better; she fails smarter. Each mistake becomes a line in the poem of her existence, a brushstroke in the masterpiece she's painting. Hers is a life rich in texture, complex in its simplicity, rewarding in its challenges.

The Choice Is Yours

Now, here's the kicker: these two attitudes aren't just characters in a story; they're elements of your own psyche. Think of them as two software programs running in the background of your brain. The one you update most frequently, the one you click 'Run' on every day, will dictate how you interact with failure and, by extension, how you live your life.

So the real question is, which program are you running? Are you team 'Oh Crap, I Failed,' forever imprisoned in a beige world of blandness? Or are you team 'Oh Wow, What Did I Learn?,' relishing in a life saturated with color and rife with learning opportunities?

If you're leaning towards Mr. Beige, don't fret. Operating systems can be upgraded, software can be updated, and attitudes can be changed. All it takes is the conscious decision to approach life not as a series of threats to be avoided, but as a collection of puzzles to be solved.

Embracing Your Inner Mentor: The True Value of Failure

So, what’s the takeaway from this meandering maze of words? Simple: failure is not your foe; it's your mentor. It's the Gandalf to your Frodo, the Mr. Miyagi to your Daniel-san, the Yoda to your Skywalker. It’s the catalyst for your journey of self-discovery. So the next time you find yourself face-to-face with failure, don’t turn away. Look it in the eye, shake its hand, and say, "Teach me."

Until next time, keep living, keep failing, and most importantly, keep learning. Because if there’s one thing that truly matters in this unpredictable, roller-coaster of a life, it's your mentality.

Know someone who would enjoy The Winner's Mentality? Share it with them directly or your network by clicking?the “Share” button below!??

You can also follow me on Linkedin here.