In life, people try to avoid failure, but it’s not always a bad thing. I can attest that failure is survivable, because there are many things that I have tried and done poorly. My own response to failure is an important lesson about my motivation, my preferences and the end I was attempting to achieve.

The first lesson I learn is about my motivation. If I am doing something for the wrong motives, failure will bring that out. If I was was doing something for the thing itself and fail, then it’s just a setback and I can say, “Okay, I am not cut out for x.” If, however, I was devastated, I might come to understand that I was trying to gain more than the thing itself could provide. Perhaps I was trying to prove my importance or worthiness. If I am alive, I already are significant and valuable. That particular thing I was trying to achieve won’t add or take away from that. If it was just ego, failure will bring that right to the surface.

The second thing I learn is what I did and did not like about the experience. I worked as a morning news editor at television station for a brief time. I liked the work, but I hated hours, and the content was really terrible. Now I do the livestream at our church with a much better outcome since it occurs in daylight and has an uplifting message every week.

The final lesson is finding out what I really want. If the sting of failure subsides, and I realize still desire the missing outcome, then I know I was on the right track. After assessing my resources and maybe getting some help, I can search out new paths with an added determination. Then I will not give up until my goal is attained.