How to Develop Success from Failures as an Entrepreneur

There is a journey we get to go on as entrepreneurs.  It’s not for the faint of heart either!!  I think it’s God’s way of weeding out the uncommitted, the “interested” as Dr. Matt would say.  

It’s a journey into the unknown.  It’s a journey of uncertainty.  And it’s certainly a journey through failures and discouragement!  

I love this quote by Dale Carnegie & it couldn’t be more true.  And it couldn’t be more timely for this to show up in my life today. 

A word of encouragement.  A word of “keep on going!”  A word of “this is part of the journey, my love!” 

Now, it’s not that I haven't had wins.  I most certainly have!!  And wins are great.  They feel great.  They look great to everyone else.  I love wins!!  As a daughter of The King, wins are promised & I expect them daily!!  

But, it’s in the failures I think we are truly forged.  It’s in the face of a failure or an obstacle or a challenge or whatever gets in the way, that we really see what’s inside of us.  And, it’s in these moments that we either allow ourselves to be formed or we run away because it’s just too painful.  

Ed Mylett says that entrepreneurship is the greatest self discovery journey you’ll ever go on.  And I couldn’t agree more!!  

It’s a daily practice of facing yourself, facing your fears, facing your many weaknesses & shortcomings, and going anyway.  

It’s like driving down a dark, windy road without your brights on.  You can see about 200 yards in front of you, and that’s it.  And in that moment, you get to decide if you’re going to continue anyway or if the unknown & the uncertain are just too hard for you to bear.  

And, it’s the thrill of pressing in & saying yes to the calling on your life & going for it anyway. 

It’s throwing your hands in the air & saying “Why the hell not, let’s go again!!”  

And your hands may be trembling and your heart may be pounding and your brain (so excellently armed & ready to protect us from pain & unnecessary use of our precious energy) is screaming at you “Don’t go there again!!  Remember the last time?? Abort mission immediately!!”  

And you say “yes” again anyways.  That’s powerful!  And it’s scary.  And that’s okay.  

“Develop success from failures.  Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” - Dale Carnegie

So, my friend.  If you’ve faced some failures.  Maybe lots of them.  If you’ve faced discouragement, let me give you some good news.  You are right where you’re meant to be.  

And today is the day to pick yourself back up.  Clean off the proverbial poo of life circumstances we face on this journey.  And go again.  

And trust God.  And believe you hear His voice.  Because you do.  We all do.  We just don’t often give Him credit for His ideas.  Especially the ones that worked out perfectly!!

But it is Him.  And He does have a plan for your life.  And He does have a destiny & a calling that is beyond your wildest dreams!!

It’s going to take sacrifice.  It’s going to take a sacrifice of comfort, of certainty, of confidence at times.  

As entrepreneurs, we all need to get very comfortable in the uncomfortable.  And wherever  you are on that journey, whatever you’ve faced along the way, it’s training grounds for this uncomfortable space.  

The entrepreneur’s journey will never exist within the walls of your comfort zone.  And the sooner we can all accept this, the sooner we can get back on that path, we can take that freaking leap again - without the parachute on our backs - and trust that the path will be shown  as we take the action that is required of us to take today.  

Take the leap & stitch that freaking parachute on your way down!!  That’s the journey.  That’s the fun part.  Complete surrender and abandon to the call & trusting where it takes us!!  

Surrender to the journey today & you’ll never regret the adventure ahead of you!!