Failure has a really bad rap… Why is this?

It actually starts when we are quite little. Our parents start feeling pressure somewhere around the time we turn 12 months old, and the “expectations” start kicking in. Are you walking yet, because your cousin and neighbors are? What about talking? Full sentences or just a few words? Do we actually feel those expectations and that disappointment in our parent’s eyes at these early ages? That’s how early it starts.

From there, it only gets worse. Did you make the baseball team? Did you get an “A” on your test? Are you doing all the same after school activities your friends are (music, dance, sports, etc.)? By the time you are applying to college, most people have been beaten into submission and don’t bother trying to go for the long-shot school, the creative degree, or the offbeat path. Even fewer have the intestinal fortitude to say I’m not going to college, I’m starting a company, sailing the globe, or starting a non-profit that changes the world.

Our fear of failure almost insures your life is constrained… So sad!

Winning is very important in life, but failure might be more important.

So, trust me, forget everything you know about winning and start thinking a lot more about failing.

Failure is where you learn and grow. It’s when you’ve tried something that didn’t work, and those new emotions become fuel. They push you forward and force you to re-think, re-examine, and change. To win in startups, investing, relationships, or life, you have to take the kind of risks that ultimately expose you to failure. What you do with that failure makes all the difference.

When you start failing a bit, you can start winning big. So don’t be afraid to fail. Embrace it, as it means you are closer to big things.