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This post by Justin Dixon Photo Courtesy of h.koppdelaney

Everyone hates failing. We go through great pains to avoid falling flat on our face. No one wants to do the wrong thing. But there is one mistake in particular that is worse than all other mistakes combined. They are the surest way to make sure that all your potential accomplishments fail. These mistakes will hold you back more than any prejudice or financial problem. So what two mistakes could be so great that they could do so much damage?

The first mistake  is not trying in the first place.

The fear of failure is far more damaging that failure itself. When you make a mistake you learn. Trial and error is the number one way that we as human beings grow. Its also why children learn so much faster than adults. They aren’t afraid of trying yet.

“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The fact is that even if you have tried something before and failed you still would of learned something. You still will know that the way you tried it last did not work. What you do not know though is if that experience that you gained last time you failed is enough to push you further. Our limits are constantly changing. We as human beings have only one sure way of knowing whether we can do something or not. That way is to give it our fullest try. Again if we fail that doesn’t mean we’ve reached our limits that means we’ve gotten one step closer to passing them.

The Second Mistake is equally destructive. Staying down.

If you try new things you are going to fail. It will eventually happen. This is normal and is a wonderful opportunity, but there is one thing that you must do to keep this mistake from turning into a genuine failure. You have to get up and try again.

“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”~Japanese Proverb

If you make a wrong move you haven’t failed. If you choose to do nothing about it than you have. You always have the choice not to fail. It has always and will always be yours as long as you can avoid the mistake of not trying, and the mistake of staying down when you do fall than you will  not fail. Failure is a choice, and as long as you keep this in mind, and push forward with what you can, giving genuine effort, than you will not fail. Even better, if you get up every time you fall down, you will find yourself falling less as time progresses.

Take the time today to ask yourself what you ever learned without mistake? To walk took us years, and we fell down often. To read took us months and was very challenging for some of us more than others. The fact is that we need mistakes, we need to mess up, that is the only way we can grow. These mistakes will never be failure though, as long as you remember to get up and try again.

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