Epic Fail

"Stand" by Rascal Flatts

Failure is not an option if your perspective is an eternal one.

Writer's block has been a killer the past two weeks for this budding author. I am a perfectionist and, ironically, failure is part of my daily life. Such a bitter pill to swallow. This week as I prepare for my residency in Colorado Springs with the Christian Writer's Guild, I want to focus on success and failure. 

Failure is not the end game. It is the means by which we are forced to push ourselves, dream big, and reach success. I am encouraged that the great people in history failed multiple times before they succeeded. Failure only defined them if they chose to stop in the midst of it. 

So this week, I use the words of others who have walked the path of FAILURE before and lived to tell the tale. They conquered this demon and tasted their own version of success. Their eyes were on the finish line, not on the current trap. As I focus on their words, I encourage you...KEEP ON KEEPING ON.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Colin Powell

“My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at his feet.” Mahatma Ghandi

"The say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward." Thomas Edison

"There is no failure. Only feedback." Robert Allen

"Because a fellow has failed once or twice or a dozen times, you don't want to set him down as a failure till he's dead or loses his courage." George Horace Lorimer

Bottom line - failure is an opportunity to stand back up after you fall. It is a test of your courage, perseverance, and joy. It is a tool used to build your character to handle both success and failure. Embrace it, use it, learn from it, and MOVE ON. The Lord promises a future and a hope for you and it NEVER ends with failure.