Celebrate Failure

This last week I was challenged to redefine failure.

While driving, I listened to a radio program interview with a CEO of a thriving company.

Every night at dinner her dad would ask her and her siblings how they failed that day. Then he would celebrate each “failure.” She learned that failure is a part of life, nothing to hide, and she therefore, defined failure as simply:

NOT TRYING.

Needless to say, she is her own definition of success today and does not see failure and negative nor something to avoid at all costs.

I was struck by this short nugget of wisdom and have been reassessing how I define failure. I have struggled with the close cousin of failure: fear. I had a clear picture of the power of fear to grab on to failure,

BUT, if failure is redefined as normal, welcomed and celebrated, the fear dissipates. There is nothing to anchor the fear!

My question for each day is:

How did I fail today? Time to celebrate it. Time to try again.

Next time someone shares with me how they think they have failed, I

am going to say; “Wonderful, congratulations!”

Let’s help each other redefine failure.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the

LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9