It's time we teach our children one of the biggest secrets that will help them succeed throughout their childhood and beyond.
How to fail.
Were you taught the art of failure? I know I wasn't. I remember ten years ago reading an article written about an interview with billionaire Spanx owner, Sarah Blakely. She wrote about how growing up her father asked her everyday: "How did you fail today?" Everyday she had to come up with an answer. Everyday she had to think back not only on her achievements, but also her failures. She said that this instilled in her the importance and lesson of failure and attributes it to her successes.
While everyday may be a bit much, encouraging failure on a regular occurrence can be positive. Failure, rejection, disappointment - these are often feelings that we shy away from. That we don't want to experience. And yet, as we continue to experience them often enough those feelings do become more easily managed, like anything.
When you fail, you learn so very much. You learn what not to do. You learn that you must keep trying. After all, you didn't fail. You succeeded in finding out what did not work.
You didn't fail at the job interview. You learned that was not the right job for you. You learned a new skill throughout the interview process. You learned how well you cope under pressure. Your child didn't fail to make the winning goal at the fútbol game. They learned what it feels like to rely on their teammates. They learned the lesson of community, of camaraderie. Of good sportsmanship. Of what to do with those feelings of disappointment when they arise.
Failure teaches you about YOU. You learn what it feels like to be confronted with those unpleasant feelings. You can't stuff them away. Today as an adult, I look forward to failing. While I didn't understand the article I read ten years ago, I do now. Now I ask myself all the time: "How can I fail today?"
Failure reminds us about our strengths, resilience, dedication and determination. Failure builds grit! Grit that you need to go throughout life. It's plain and simple. Failure breeds success.