How do you embrace failure?

I read this post from Tim Tebow yesterday.

“Embrace failing. Personally, I have learned a lot more after getting cut or criticized than I ever did after winning a championship or winning the Heisman…

We have the opportunity to learn much more from our lows than we ever will from the highs. The disappointing times will teach you so much more. It’s the seasons of trials that have helped me build trust, faith, hope, & endurance. Even though I didn’t like it at that time, it taught me so much more.”

I’m not sure why it had such an effect on me? Maybe because we are in such uncertain times that you just never know what the next day brings or what the next news cycle will share.

Maybe it’s because I’ve opened up about mental health issues I’ve had over the years and am beginning to realize that failure or for the lack of a better word, fear of failure is what drives me/drove me through my personal/professional career and throughout my current journey through my Masters into my Doctorate program.

Of course, I never had the professional career as Tim Tebow, but I did face the pressures of collegiate athletics and professional athletics up to a certain level. And sports, as we all know, is surrounded by failure. It’s how you take that failure and improve that makes you stronger.

A recent conversation with an ex-pitcher brought forward some interesting conversation topics, especially on the topic of anxiety and depression on and off the field. Now just speaking from experience, I remember, regardless of age and level having extreme highs and lows based on my performance. And if I didn’t perform up to my expectations, I didn’t know how to cope, but it would drive me to extreme levels of improvement. Being open about that now makes me wonder if I would handle things differently if I could go back? I’m not exactly sure, but I look at my professional career and I have a different perspective.

There’s ups and downs in any professional setting, but I try to look at those instances where I didn’t perform up to my capabilities or not 100% on target and look at those undeniably as opportunities to grow as a person and a professional.

And I’m telling you it’s not the easiest thing in the world to admit flaws and be completely transparent when you haven’t been at the top of your game. But as Tim Tebow said, “It’s the seasons of trials that have helped me build trust, faith, hope, & endurance. Even though I didn’t like it at that time, it taught me so much more.”