The Power of Failure
11. Jun, 2010 
52 Comments
Failure…we all know that dreaded word. In life and business there are few things that strikes up a cord of fear in you more than the thought of failure. As human beings we are conditioned fear failure of anything. You don’t want to fail your classes in school, you don’t want to fail in your relationships, you don’t want to fail in business. The list goes on and on.
But is failure really that bad? Sometimes it is that failure that keeps many people going and it is what builds the resilience that you need as an entrepreneur. You would not believe how many successful people will tell you the countless times that they failed before really finding their true success. Take someone like Tony Robbins…he actually hit rock bottom, gained weight and holed up in his house like a hermit before really coming out and tearing things up. The point is he took that low point in his life and turned it into an empire.
Are you getting the point here? Don’t be afraid to fail. Get rid of that Fear as it is nothing more than a fallacy. A cruel trick that our mind plays on us in order to supposedly keep us safe. Instead push forward, embrace it and watch as that fear of failure crumbles around you. Know that you are going to fail but set your mind steadfast that you will succeed no matter the price.
Check out this awesome post from Marie Forleo that gives you even more insight into why failure should just be a passing breeze in your life. Go here: http://briantomlinson.net/failure_good
As usual, let me know what you thought by leaving your comments below please share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter (and other social media sites). Let me know if you’ve overcome any failures just to rise to the occasion.
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Great post.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 13th, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Thanks Emily.
Wow that was a good post. I know that I am the type of person who doesn’t quite until I succeed! I also think that some people have HUGE potential but the fear of failure keeps them from reaching that potential. I just want to shake these people and say stop it! Get out there and do it!
~Erin
.-= Erin Smith´s last blog ..Don’t Forget To Generate Interest in Your Offer =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Hey Erin, that’s right. Just got out there and make it happen. We keep ourselves back too many times.
~BT
Hey Brian. Great reminder. Failing often leads you to the road of success. The best advice I ever received was if you fall, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and keep going. You never know what you will find right around the corner.
PS. Marie is great. She is currently my coach. Love her.
.-= Kimberly´s last blog ..How to Get Your Sexy Back in 2 Minutes or Less =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Hey Kimberly, great advice. As long as you get back up one more time than you get knocked down you are ahead of the game.
Marie does offer some awesome stuff on her blog. You picked a super coach.
~BT
Hi Brian,
This is spooky for me, reading your post, because I just wrote a post about this exact topic…great minds think alike, right?
I like how you focus on getting past fear in this post…fear paralyzes people which means NO ACTION is being taken which means NOTHING will happen for them. Accepting fear for what it is, knowing all of us have it, and going for it anyway is the motto of champions!
Thanks!
Mary Lou
.-= Mary Lou Kayser´s last blog ..Predictably Irrational: The Keys to Your Success May Be the Opposite of What You Think =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:06 AM
Hey Mary Lou, great minds do think alike…haha
I think that just goes to show that we are all looking for the same improvements in our lives and that we many times have the same struggles.
Thanks for stopping by as usual.
~BT
We used to have a saying in snowboarding, “if your not falling, you are not trying hard enough.” Many of us play it safe in life for fear of falling. The truely fearless fall many times and achieve great things!
.-= Garth Reynolds´s last blog ..Recurring Revenue Streams: The Ultimate Leverage for Time Freedom =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:07 AM
Hey Garth, that’s awesome dude. It is so true. Sometimes you just have to take that jump. That leap of faith.
~BT
Hi Brian, Awesome!!
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 13th, 2010 at 11:06 PM
Hey Judy, thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed it.
Brian,
Thanks for the article. Fear is real. However, the key is what we do with it. In my opinion, it’s designed to show us that our faith level is weak and it’s time to start believing again that all things are possible.
Bridgette
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 13th, 2010 at 11:07 PM
You said it right Bridgette…Fear is weakness incarnate. Keep the faith and the mind strong and you will overcome.
Bryan;
Fear is present and its part of our growing process in becoming a Real Entrepreneur. I am and the adventurist and risk taker kind of person and that has helped me to overcome my fears. Taking Action is what really is going to get you Results and after you see those results. Fear is not going to be an obstacle anymore.
Great post
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 13th, 2010 at 11:08 PM
Hey Katherine, that is awesome. Some times you have to take a leap of faith. Which once you get your mind right is really more of a leap to your destiny.
Thanks for stopping by.
~BT
Totally agree that failure is actually an important ingredient for success.
In NLP we use the term “There is no such thing as failure, only feedback”.
Failure is essential for personal growth… a shame that our education system does not teach our children this point of view.
Thanks for sharing. Amanda
.-= Amanda Emily Reed´s last blog ..14 Day Comfort Zone Challenge – Watch Your Personal Growth Soar Immediately! =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 13th, 2010 at 11:09 PM
Hey thanks a ton Amanda. I like that. You are correct though. Our children could do well with learning some of these concepts.
Thanks Brian
Great Post
.-= Byron Skjerdal´s last blog ..Working from Home. =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 15th, 2010 at 2:26 PM
Byron, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by.
~BT
I have a key note speak titled “Our Challenges are our greatest gifts”. You are right it helps build the resilience we need. The point you made about Tony Robbins is proof that what T. Harv Eker says is true, “Every master was once a disaster.”
Plus it’s not considered failure if we choose to call it learning.
Peace & prosperity,
Dallas Cyr
.-= Dallas Cyr´s last blog ..Divine Healing =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Hey Dallas, you’ve got it exactly right. So many successful people had a time when they were down and out. I think many of us are so afraid of that that we hold ourselves back and end up quitting.
~BT
Hi Brian,
Great post, it’s so important to face the fears because sooner or later they will come back in another disguise for sure! It’s all part of life.
Take care,
Angela
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Hi Angela, we may as well face them head on because if not they surely will return somewhere at some time.
~BT
Heh Brian,
Thanks for that – if we don’t fear things, then get through them then we are just not growing. Fear is a good thing!
Sharon
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:11 AM
Hey Sharon, part of our growth is truly overcoming our fears and shortcomings.
~BT
Brian,
I like this post… However I don’t like to fail at things… so I never give up on them.
You only fail at something as soon as you stop working towards achieving that goal.
Jordan Schultz
.-= Jordan Schultz´s last blog ..How I Doubled My Blog Traffic In A Single Month In Less Than 60 Minutes A Week =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Jordan, very true buddy. You just have to keep on working and know that our goals will be achieved.
~BT
Hey Brian,
Great post. I know so many people afraid of failing, and I see them settling for the status quo. Afraid of losing what they have, they don’t try to obtain more. If they’d just take a risk, they might not lose…they might win.
This post was good for me to read because I feel like I’m in the middle of taking a huge risk myself. I look around sometimes and think that maybe it would just be easier to live safely, but then I look around again and wonder what good that really is going to do. So thanks for the pleasant reminder that the dangerous track I’m on is a good one.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Hey Gina, good for you. You are facing the risks head on. Awesome stuff. Be sure to look me up if you ever feel that you need help keeping on track.
~BT
Thanks Brian, for a powerful lesson that we need to learn if we hope to achieve the success we aspire to!
Jafree Ozwald offers a unique way of dealing with fear: “First, you unmask your fear and see that it is simply excitement in disguise. When a successful mountain climber encounters a challenging piece of terrain he doesn’t think about how scary it is, he thinks about how exciting and empowering he will feel once he has conquered it.
All the Best,
Phil
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Phil, I definitely like that outlook. Something new and exciting is definitely a great way to look at difficult situations. I can see how this can help with our mindset.
~BT
Thanks for the reminder – seems I can’t be reminded enough of this!
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Awesome Vicky.
Thanks for stopping by.
I love comparing everything in life to surfing, you have to wipe out to learn…..
.-= Emma´s last blog ..How Is *Your* Sphere Of Influence? =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 3:07 PM
Hey Emma, that’s a great comparison. No surfing without wiping out…LOL
~BT
I totally agree. My failures have made me a better and more resilient Entrepreneur. They have also made the successes that much sweeter. I’m not saying I’ve always loved the “failure times” but I embrace them for what they are, keep a positive attitude and move on and up. Thanks for the reminder.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Hey Vanessa, you’re right. It is what it is. You may as well embrace them as they come and learn from your mistakes and failures.
~BT
Thanks Brian for sharing about the upside to failure. In actual fact it appears that most people fail by default in that they simply give up. Often by the very fact that you persevere through whatever trial or tribulation you are facing with an unwavering belief is sufficient to ensure victory. Recently I was confronted by a debilitating medical condition that literally floored me for months on end. It looked to my wife and family that I was losing, so pitiful I must have appeared but deep down I decided that I would rather die trying than to succumb to it. To make a long story short, I did win, I now walk pain free, I am healthy and feeling fantastic. As a result of being in the pits of despair and looking at failure in the eye but refusing to give up, I feel like my self belief is now operating on steroids. Regarding Will Smith I also encountered his depth whilst watching Oprah with my wife. I loved it when he said that if you are not bettering the lives of others you are wasting your time. Keep up the good flow of ideas and inspiration Brian. From Down Under, Paul Saver
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Paul thanks for stopping by and leaving us your inspirational story. You’ve definitely made my day and let me know what what I’m doing is well worth it.
Don’t be a stranger my friend.
~BT
Brian this is a great post and message. I agree with you totally. I have had many what I called failures in my life that were my learning experiences and turning points.
Regards
Sue
.-= Sue Price´s last blog ..Network Marketing vs Traditional Business =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 1:46 PM
Hey Sue, that’s all they are my friend…nothing but learning experiences.
Thanks for stopping by.
~BT
I could not agree more! Failures are stepping stones for successful people, but they are a dead-end for unsuccessful people. What we choose to do with our failures makes all the difference! Do we choose to learn from them or give up? It’s up to us!
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..The Significance of Insignificance =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 1:50 PM
Stacy, it sure is up to us. We just have to make sure that we choose NEVER to give up.
~BT
Great blog, so happy to have connected with you recently, Brian! This is such an important topic for entrepreneurs to grasp …. we must be students of failure, both our own and others, if we are to succeed. As Jim Rohn puts it, the key is to make our failures our servants, or else they will become our slaves! It is up to each of us to use the information to learn and grow, and invest its value in our own lives.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
.-= Beth Allen´s last blog ..Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude =-.
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 1:51 PM
Beth, definitely great to connect with you and thanks for sharing your great comment. Jim Rohn rocks!!
~BT
this is a fabulous sexy post! failure is something that is present in every situation and most people feel uncomfortable while talking about failure. failure is a part of the learning process and unavoidable! its just a question of how you deal with it – nothing more!
thanks for sharing this huge content!
all the best
gerald
Brian Tomlinson Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 11:32 PM
Gerald thanks for the compliment my friend. Failure is huge and without it growth can be stunted.
Chat soon.
I have not failed. I have only found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
Thomas Edision
Brian, this was an awesome article. Fear is the only enemy to our success. The thing is though, you will always fear the not knowing. But it is the drive and the determination and the “I don’t care what it takes” “I will make it” attitude.