3 Devastating Failures All Successful People Experience

What is success in life?

I did not know what failure meant until I tried to step outside the box and become an entrepreneur.

Stepping out, trying something new, and stretching your capabilities almost automatically means that you will fail.

Failure is a byproduct of success.

Failure means that there is a lack of success.

Therefore, my definition of failure means that you do not have enough evidence to determine that you are successful.

Evidence of success tells us you are heading in the right direction.

It is hard to feel successful if there is no immediate return on your investment.

We look for signs and clues to determine if we are heading in the right direction.

We look even harder for these clues when stepping out into the unknown.

Going through the process of achieving success is difficult when considering our culture’s dynamics.

Our individualistic culture teaches us that the individual’s rights take precedence, self-sufficiency is valued, and depending on others is often considered embarrassing, making you feel guilty.

My question to you is this….

What does success mean to you?

Thinking about this topic, I started researching success stories.

Every success story has a downside.

The psychologist in me looked for patterns.

It is the patterns that give us clues.

Often, in our personal lives, it is the patterns that keep us stuck.

These patterns cross generations, classes, neighborhoods, groups, and organizations.

Life has a peculiar way of kicking us in the “you know what”.

When there is something you need to learn, something that you need to work on, the same situation will continue to repeat itself until you face it and dedicate 100 percent of yourself to succeed in it.

Striving for success is like the movie Groundhog Day.

Actor Bill Murray had to relive the same day repeatedly.

This allowed him to identify patterns and set up a course of action.

Therefore, there are patterns to achieving success.

Even successful people fail.

There are devastating failures all successful people experience.

Here are three examples.

Examples of Failure All Successful People Experience

1. People will discredit you.

It is almost guaranteed that people are going to down-talk your capabilities.

This makes achieving success especially hard because of our individualistic culture.

We are wired to measure success by our ability to differentiate ourselves positively from the group.

If the group is down-talking you (i.e., calling you a failure, saying that you don’t have what it takes), this can be interpreted as evidence showing that you are a failure.

These stories go on and on.

There are plenty of examples of failure.

My mother was told that she would never be good at math, but later became an engineer for Northrop Grumman and Harris Corporation.

I was told that I was too quiet and would have difficulty succeeding professionally in any field by my sixth-grade English instructor.

I can proudly say that my career is still a work in progress.

I have filled some prominent positions with two master’s degrees and a doctorate later.

Now, I have my own business.

I challenge you to recognize the patterns.

One pattern you might identify is someone close to you (or someone you look up to) telling you that you are not good enough.

They will tell you that you do not have what it takes.

Do not let those seeds take root.

Do not internalize this negativity.

You have everything that you need to fulfill your destiny or purpose.

Do NOT take negative feedback as evidence of failure.

2. You will be fired or rejected before you succeed.

The universe has a way of steering your course.

It is difficult to feel as though you are succeeding if you are rejected.

However, being rejected from an opportunity is not the end of the world, although it may feel like it.

Rejection feels bad because it immediately triggers your body’s threat system.

It’s hard because it challenges your security.

Rejection can make you feel like a complete failure when you put yourself out there, showing all your vulnerabilities, and things don’t work out the way you planned.

Think of that love interest.

If you like someone and they turn you down.

What happens?

Well, you may question how good you look, what you say wrong, and the list goes on.

As I said: the universe has a way of directing your path.

That ONE missed opportunity was NOT on your destiny path.

That person you liked may not have been the best fit for you. 

The pattern in this example is that rejection is a part of success.

There are so many famous people who failed before succeeding.

They fired Oprah from her first television job.

Nobody wanted to sign Jay-Z. They dropped lady Gaga by her first record label, Island Def Jam.

Lady Gaga believed Island Def Jam was her ultimate goal and road to music success.

Often, what we interpret as success is only half of the puzzle.

The KFC guy, Colonel Sanders, was fired from dozens of jobs before founding a successful restaurant.

Colonel Sanders’ story of failure teaches us that failure and being rejected go hand in hand.

These rejections didn’t keep these stars from shining!

Do not take rejection as evidence that you are not a success.

Rejection is required to set you up for genuine success.

Lady Gaga cried when she was dropped from the label, as many of us would.

It is normal to get upset.

We all cry, get down, and even become angry when rejected.

These emotions are a part of our refinement process.

Remember that feelings change – rejection is part of the success formula.

3. Last, you will experience complete frustration.

Frustration is a devastating element of success.

Not making enough money, not getting enough “likes” on social media, or not meeting your short-term goals in the time frame you set out can all be frustrating.

Frustration is a part of the pattern of success.

I can’t think of anyone that did not experience a little frustration trying to reach their ultimate goals.

Let me tell you: when you take the road less traveled, it is bumpy, desolate, and often an uphill battle.

Chasing success requires digging deep to uncover those hidden strengths you knew never existed.

These strengths represent what you know about yourself that others do not.

Uncovering unforeseen strengths requires a bit of resistance.

The frustration you feel trying to move forward will uncover things about yourself that you never knew existed.

Painter Vincent Van Gogh was financially insecure and only sold one painting during his lifetime.

Writer Stephen King was so frustrated trying to write the novel, Carrie, that he threw out the manuscript.

Fortunately, his wife fished it out of the trash.

Each of these successful people overcame failure by facing adversity and resistance.

It’s hard to do that in our culture, which emphasizes independence.

Even though it might be painful, look at it as an opportunity to identify patterns, learn, re-group, and find your path to success.

Just be mindful that if you feel frustrated, rejected, or discredited, these are examples of failure that all successful people experience.

These experiences are not evidenced that you will not achieve success.

You have everything that you need to achieve your dreams.

Dig deep, do not get discouraged, and remember that you may need to re-group and change your strategy.

You are not a failure.

You are a success.