How do you fail forward? Easy. Learn from your past mistakes and keep moving forward.
Take Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s mistake, for instance. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes was invented through Dr. Kellogg’s mistake in 1894. But, instead of quitting when the mistake was made, Dr. Kellogg and his brother continued. When Kellogg’s Corn Flakes was invented, it was thought to be the cure for masturbation which, according to Dr. Kellogg, caused urinary diseases, cancer of the womb, impotence, nocturnal emissions, epilepsy, dimness of vision, insanity, mental and physical debility, and moral corruption. (Remember that the next time you see Kellogg’s Corn Flakes on your grocer’s shelf.)
Handel was a musical prodigy as a child. By the time he was 56, he was in debt and disappointed with life and felt his music was unappreciated. A friend gave him a libretto which was based on the life of Jesus Christ. Handel was so inspired he wrote almost non-stop for 21 days. Handel’s musical masterpiece “Messiah” was born. He could have continued to wallow in self-pity and probably would never have created a masterpiece considered to be one of the greatest of all times.
If you haven’t failed at something, it simply means you have not tried at something. Failure is a “temporary.” It just means you have to keep trying different things until something works.
Giving up or quitting happens when you are already close to success. To be an achiever, you have to pass the breaking point. That’s the point where others give up. Don’t give up!
Even little raccoons know to never give up. They know the joy of the success that awaits them if they just keep trying! Be a raccoon!
Writing is hard work. Having a book published is hard work. Marketing and promoting those books is hard work. Your success is just around the corner. Go ahead, allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s only a temporary mistake if you choose to “Fail Forward.” Who knows what your next failure will bring. I, for one, can’t wait to see. So go on and “Fail Forward!”
© 2024 Maggie Rivers