How to Take an L: Learning From Failure

That gut punch feeling when you read a rejection email from a job you really wanted.

When you check your phone for the twelfth time in an hour, realizing that girl you liked really did leave your text on read.

Even something as simple as missing a winning shot in pick up basketball, as your teammates roll their eyes in frustration.

The thrill of victory gets posted to Instagram for likes from our friends, but the agony of defeat is what keeps us up at night.

We shy away from the pain of failure, rejection, and loss. Our fragile egos are easily bruised. It’s uncomfortable and embarrassing. However, many of the world’s most successful people name failure as a crucial part of their greatest achievements.

Failure is part of the process of success.

People who avoid failure also avoid success.

-Robert Kiyosaki

In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) I learned the powerful presupposition, “There is no failure, there is only feedback”. Just thinking about a situation differently offers the power to radically change the way you feel about it.

Think of failures, losses, and embarrassments as tools for growth. This mindset allows you to learn from missteps, instead of wallowing in negative emotions.