The Value of Failure

This period, it's only natural for you to reflect on the wins and fails. But can you pause for a moment and just think about this: ‘What if the so-called fails you've highlighted or experienced this year weren't even fails? What if they were necessary detours on the road to a greater destination???

In today's newsletter, we'll explore the value of failure. Sometimes, failure can set us up for success. Let's look at this Swahili Proverb,

To get lost is to learn the way.

Success and failure are part of the process of progress in life. Falling is inevitable, what you do after falling is what matters the most.?

Think about a potter who spends days molding a beautiful vase; after putting it in the kiln, he sees a crack. The potter is almost at the final stage of producing a beautiful masterpiece and that crack poses a potential disaster because it could widen and destroy the entire piece. So, instead of throwing it away, he uses gold to fill up the cracks creating a unique gold pattern around the vase.?

What could have been a potential disaster became a one-of-a-kind beautiful piece, that’s even more valuable than before.?

What was the difference? Resilience!?

He embraced the setback and bounced back stronger. Setbacks teach valuable lessons you can never learn otherwise. It pushes you to think outside the box if you want to rise after a fall.

Reflection: What was your major “fall” this year? More importantly, how did you rise???

Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of it

This is my perspective, this push and pull dynamics results in growth that comes from adversity. Resilience is the bridge between these two forces.?

Resilience is about adapting, thriving, adjusting, learning, and enduring even when you feel like giving up. You may have felt like giving up one too many times this year but here you are reading this newsletter.?

You kept pushing and going, maybe due to an external force or internal force, but something kept urging you on.?

Mistakes teach you a lot. A failed project may reveal some lapses you may have overlooked in planning, execution, or market survey. There is so much wisdom to garner from mistakes if you are viewing it from the right lens.?

Here’s a thought: Instead of tagging next year as “your year of success,” why not make it “your year of learning”? Try it and watch how success will naturally follow.??

Building Resilience?

Next year make every failure you encounter a stepping stone. If you did that this year, kudos! Next year double it! You can develop a system that gives room for you to try new things, ideas, and experiment. When you feel stuck, reach out to people and it's important to build a strong network of people who can uplift you when you feel down and encourage you not to give up.?

See every rejection as a redirection and every mistake as a message. If you can't find a message from your mistake here is one; it revealed to you what not to do! So, get up and try another approach.

This newsletter is speaking to me as much as it's speaking to you. This year has been challenging for many individuals and businesses but we keep moving because nothing can stop us. We aim higher because nothing can keep us in the ground.?

'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'?

You can join me on my YouTube channel, where I share more insightful topics on growth, resilience, personal development, and leadership.?

If you have not read my previous newsletters, click here to read and subscribe to our letters.

Thanks for reading.

Cheerio,?

Victoria Ajayi.