Failure, the world's most cringe-worthy word. Whether it is failing a test, failing at a relationship, or you've become one of those internet memes with the word "FAIL" across your face, failure doesn't feel good. It's a painful feeling of when "you try your best but you don't succeed" (in the words of Coldplay). But what if instead of fearing failure, you embraced it? Your life would be changed forever. Raise your fist, Breakfast Club, we got this.
1. Fear Can't Stop You
Think about it. Once you stop worrying about what could happen, endless opportunities arise. That cute boy in your biology class? Ask him out. Who knows what could happen? If the worst thing that could happen is someone saying no, is it even that bad? This goes for anything you are afraid to fail at - applying for that research position, taking a difficult class, auditioning for a role, giving a speech to a large crowd, anything with risk. TV's most adorable goofball, Andy Dwyer, is serious about his belief in you.
2. Empowerment
Being able to look failure in the eye and still try makes you empowered. Let's look to the most empowered woman on earth - Beyoncé
. Every time she performs she gives it 100% - unafraid. Just look at her, remember the Superbowl when she almost fell but recovered so well half of the twittersphere thought it was just a dance move? This is one woman who doesn't consider failure as an option and she is empowered like nobody's business.
3. Acceptance
Stephen Colbert is famous for his advice to "love the bomb". Colbert credits director, Jeff Michalski for that advice. Right before Colbert's first show Michalski told Colbert to "love the bomb". Loving the bomb means to smile in the midst of your failure and know that it is for the best. Loving the bomb is to appreciate your failure and not to cringe at it. Once you learn to love the bomb, you gain acceptance. Acceptance gives you the sense of peace and perspective to keep going towards the bigger goal. I mean, Colbert did it and for that he has an Emmy. Look how happy he is with his Emmy. You could be this happy.
4. Learn Lessons
I'm going to quote my middle school theater teacher here and tell you to put your buns on the line. Don't be afraid to fail because that failure can teach you so much more than any other experience. How often have you heard those stories from Michael Jordan not making the basketball team to Thomas Edison trying 10,000 times to make the lightbulb? There is a reason you always hear those stories. It's because like them - you can fail and then still succeed. Ignore the nerdy, cliche reference but you can be like Dumbledore's phoenix and rise from the ashes.
5. Love Trumps Hate
Last but not least dear my fail conquering, success seeking friends - remember that love trumps hate. When something goes wrong you have a choice. You can break down and be upset, or you can accept it, love it and grow from it. If you choose the first, guaranteed no good will come from it. If you choose the second, it's a whole new world. Aladdin will show it to you.
Failure isn't the world's most cringe-worthy word (for the record that's moist). Failure can't stop you, it will empower you, it will give you acceptance, teach you lessons, and it can even produce love. Embrace the failure and get out there. Andy Bernard congratulates you (with love).
