When we are dealing with the challenges we currently face and when the going gets tough we need to stay positive and stay focused on the things that matter, in our lives, our work, and in our relationships...

We all face a difficult, changing and potentially chaotic future where individuals, families, children, organizations, and businesses all face accelerating change, massive challenges and increasing problems. We must all stay positive and develop the ability to see opportunities as we cope with these challenges. We must develop the ability to bounce back from difficulties and setbacks and to get back up when we are knocked down and to continue to produce awesome results, even in the most difficult circumstances. We must learn to cope successfully with failure, now, and in the future. Learning to deal creatively with failure is a key to our success.

It is important that we understand that there is a great difference between failing to achieve a result and the conclusion you draw from that outcome. Those who stay down make a judgment that they have failed, not just their attempt. Moreover, they often generalize from their “failures” to illogical conclusions such as, “I am a loser,” and “I will probably always fail. Therefore, they assume, there is no point in getting up. So they quit, give up, seek a comfortable niche, lose themselves in alcohol, other drugs, shopping, or overwork, where they can avoid facing what they consider to be failure.

However, old wisdom says that the sooner we make our first 5000 mistakes, the sooner we will learn how to do anything really well. New wisdom talks about trying many things, failing fast and often, and learning lots and quickly. We must take small risks, make many small mistakes and learn each time. Try, try, try again. That is how we learn, in art or school or business—and most importantly in life.

In art, work, love, and life, there is no failure, just feedback!

Chris