Day 346: On Surpassing Yourself
A man’s life is interesting primarily when he has failed — I well know. For it’s a sign that he tried to surpass himself.
One interesting and empowering way to look at failure is to consider it a sign that you’re trying to surpass yourself. After all, you can’t fail if you’re doing something that is well within your abilities. You fail when you’re doing something that is difficult for you, in order to grow. Hence, if you aren’t failing, you’re probably not stretching yourself enough.
If you’ve been going a long time without any failures, it’s time to think bigger. Not experiencing any failures is a clear sign that you’re setting your aims too low and it’s time to seek a more challenging environment or establish new, more difficult goals.
Success is obviously a positive thing, but bear in mind that if you’re constantly succeeding, it comes with the risk of getting too cocky and assuming that you’re invincible. Setting goals with a high risk of failure will help you stay humble and ultimately aid you in keeping success in your life.