Nobody attempts something great with the expectation of failing. I’ve found that when you experience failure, you have to regard it as a learning opportunity. It’s the only way. Yes, we all feel some degree of embarrassment when a carefully laid plan doesn’t work out. However, the only true failure is the failure to learn from mistakes. In the words of Henry Ford, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
It’s not the fact of failure that matters, but rather how we recover from it. Wallowing in misery won’t get you anywhere. So if you need to spend a few hours feeling sorry for yourself and asking God “why?” or downing a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, go right ahead. But that’s it—a few hours of wallowing is all you are allowed.
I’ve often written here about God giving you the plan for your life one piece at a time and expecting you to learn from the obstacles you encounter before He will give you the next piece. Failure is your opportunity to learn what you need to know in order to receive the next puzzle piece and move to the next level.
It all leads back to your vision. The vision I had at twelve was not the same as the one I have now. Once I realized that, my failures became fewer and farther between, and each one that I do experience serves to refocus me on my goals, and that will be my next topic: defining and refining your vision.
Give yourself some dang grace. You DON’T have it all figured out. Don’t be embarrassed because plans changed on you, be proud of yourself for trying in the first place.