Thoughts on Failure

I think about failing in three ways: stumbles, fumbles and rumbles.

Most failures are like stumbles.

You miss a step, but catch yourself. The cost is low. More often than not nobody notices, though it may not feel like that in the moment, but you can quickly recover and move on.

Some failures are like fumbles.

They take you out of your rhythm, and you might be embarrassed at the time, but they are reversible with a little extra effort. That said, there’s often a huge learning opportunity from these moments.

A few failures are rumbles.

Once you make them there’s no going back without significant effort. You may be scarred from the encounter physically and/or emotionally. Years later they may haunt you.? When you’ve experienced a failure of this magnitude, give yourself space and grace to heal. ?Like Kintsugi, the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold, embrace your flaws and imperfections. You can create an even stronger, more you.