Failure is often defined by something that did not work out the way you had planned.  These failures are often collected in our minds and hearts as demerits that we should be ashamed of, and to hide from others whenever possible.  However, failure is much more than something that does not go the way you expected.

Failure is a part of life that can be the best learning opportunity of all. 

It allows us to see things from a perspective that would never have been achieved without failure.  Until we try something new, we really do not know the possibilities or outcomes.

Ed Catmull, the founder of Pixar once said that he did not worry about the team members who made mistakes.  He worried about the team members that never made mistakes because they obviously were not willing to try something new and creative.  He further went on to say that his biggest job as a CEO was to convince new team members to fail as quickly as possible.  He knew this process would cement in their minds the benefits of innovation.

What if we could embrace failure as golden opportunities to learn, to grow, and to innovate?  Would we still try to hide our mistakes or share them so others can learn from our experience?  Pride often hinders the growth process for us and those we lead. 

No one becomes a success overnight.  It takes a lot of hard work, learning, and an openness to new ideas and approaches.  Along the path to success, life will teach you many lessons about what works, what does not work, or where the pitfalls might be.  True success is learning those lessons and wisely applying that knowledge to your situation.