Embracing Failure

My children's school in Lithuania recently hosted a panel of alumni entrepreneurs to talk about the future of work and education, and I was invited to participate. It was fascinating to see how many of our views coincided despite the fact that I was educated and grew up in the U.S. and they didn't. In addition, they had a diverse set of backgrounds: technology, neuroscience, transportation, and sustainable construction. 

One point came up that I want to share with you: failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. 

In the U.S. and some other Western cultures, failure has become more encouraged and acceptable. In fact, I recently listened to a podcast about this school for refugees in the U.S. where they actually celebrate failure! What a concept, right? I absolutely love this idea. 

However, in many countries around the world, including Lithuania, failure is completely discouraged. 

Where do you stand on failure? 

When I think back to times I "failed," I remember feeling angry or sad, or a mix of both. But I can see that by making a mistake or not getting an opportunity I wanted, it opened up something new for me. When I decided to close my small recruiting business after 3.5 years, it felt like I had wasted a lot of time. I felt disappointed and angry. But this allowed me the white space and focus I needed to pave the way for new things for Career Valet, which almost certainly couldn't have happened otherwise. 

Many of us were taught by our families and educators that failure is bad. It's time to shift our mindsets and view failure as an opportunity, rather than an end.