Success lies on a big pile of failures. I think there is a misconception when we fail. We tend to believe that when we do not succeed at something on the first attempt, we will forever be unable to successfully achieve that goal. But when we commonly identify as “successful,” such as Abraham Lincoln, Tom Hanks, Michael Jordan, or or even names like Stephen Colbert, each of these people has a laundry list of failures that have laid the foundation for their later success. Not only our are failures a prerequisite to success, they actually make us better and even more successful than if we had not failed in the first place.

Deciding to push forward even when things feel impossible make us better, more resilient, and more determined to reach the ultimate goal. When we fail, we have two choices. We can either give up and go home, or we can get up, wipe the dust off ourselves and approach the challenge with a new focus and determination. It is not an arrogant, cocky, chip on the shoulder type of determination, it is an “I don’t care what anyone else says, I don’t care what I’ve done in the past, I will accomplish this goal” type of determination

I think this especially holds true with millennials.  We were told we could be  anything we wanted when we grew up –  we could be an astronaut, a doctor, cowboy, a mermaid, a professional football player, or a princess.  So when we don’t get what we want, some people give up and quit.  When we face any sort of adversity that is inconsistent with the cookie-cutter life that we were told we could live, we panic, get anxious, and become paralyzed by depression.

In reality, it is crucial for us to embrace the temporary setback, welcome the challenge, and remind ourselves that it ultimately makes us better and will lead to us overcoming so much more then what we otherwise would have. It may not always be easy in the moment, but it is important to take a step back and embrace the failure because the failure now will lead to a bigger and better and stronger you later.

Our failures give us the opportunity to identify potential weaknesses to improve upon. At the very least failures can teach us what to do differently next time.  Perhaps most importantly, failures will lead us to where we are called to go.  They have the ability to lead us down a path that we would not have dreamed of had everything gone according to “my plan.”

Be patient. Embrace the failure. It will shape you and make you better.