The Scoop on Failure

The word FAILURE absolutely wrecks my soul. I mean crushes it. My enneagram 3 to a T self hates to work so hard only to see no result. Can you relate?

Even if you're not necessarily a hard-core achiever, I'd bet my bottom dollar that you do not like to fail at something you care about. Am I wrong? I am not 😏

Ever since I was in about the seventh grade, I have always gone the extra mile in almost everything I did so that I could avoid being bad at the things I cared about- even to a fault some would say.

My strong desire for success has hurt me on more than one occasion. For example, my undereating and overexercising resulted in me developing both a stress fracture and an eating disorder at just 13.

Luckily, in recent years I have learned that the delicate balance of healthy ambition coupled with grace yields the best results.

Moving along, throughout my life, I have learned that there are two major things that people believe about failure that are huge misconceptions, and I want to talk about them today!!

1. Failing at one thing = failing at all things.

This idea might seem silly, but it is one of the first things many believe when they are face-to-face with failure. We tend to adopt failure as an identity rather than a description of an unideal circumstance.

When faced with failure, always remember to draw strength from past feats! One misfortune does not discredit the many successes you have had in your lifetime. Make a list if you have too!

There are countless areas of success in this life. And if you feel like you aren't winning at the big picture things, take a step back and see if you can win at the small picture things. Sometimes, we need to go back to the basics.

Try showing up well in your fitness routine, your sleep schedule, your time with God, your friendships & relationships, etc.

I saw this quote the other day that I really loved. It reminded me of the simplicity of a good life and how badly we often overcomplicate things.

2. It's your fault.

Failure is not always your fault. Sometimes you can put in the time & the effort, you can lose sleep working, you can pray about it, and you can prepare long in advance; and when the time comes, the door will remain closed.

It is definitely a hard pill to swallow, but I believe God blocks certain doors for a reason, and we simply cannot outwork God's plan for our lives.

God ordains everything beautifully, and even if we can't see it, even if we never understand it, He is working all things together for the greater good and for His glory.

Failure requires you to trust God on a deeper level. Anyone can trust God when they are getting what they want, but what happens when you put in the work and you don't see the results you want. Can you still have the same faith?

It takes an extremely strong person to combat failure with gratitude and to continue to show up despite embarrassment, despite shame, and despite disappointment.

Failure initially comes with all of the things mentioned above- embarrassment, shame, and disappointment. But the best advice I can give you is to make sure you're living for an audience of ONE. And that One is Jesus, himself.

If you're close to Him, if you're following His leading, if you're relying on Him, you are absolutely golden. The "failures" of this world are not going to get to you as much because you know you are living for something much greater than the measly circumstances on earth.

If you're not in the place you envisioned for yourself, I feel you.

If you're not in the place everyone said you would be, I feel you.

But I also want you to know that your story is meaningful. Your story is inspiring people whose path you will never cross & people who will never have the guts to tell you.

Every time you begin to doubt your worth, doubt your passions, and doubt your ability to succeed again, I want you to take a second and shift the focus from you.

Contrary to popular belief, this life is not about us. We are so small & our God is so big. He knows what He is doing and we don't have to question that.

Psalm 32:8

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."

May the rising sun each morning remind you that God is continually making all things new.

I believe in you. I empathize with you. I know you are destined for great things- even if they aren't "big" great things. Chase your big picture dreams, but also recognize the importance of showing up in the mundane. And all the while, rest in knowing He is using your story for His glory.

Start seeing the beauty in everything, and begin with yourself!

- Bai <3