Lately I have been reading a lot about people's failures. You might think that's a bad thing, but not a single one of the stories I have read ended badly. People talk about their struggles and how their businesses didn't succeed as they had hoped. Yet they picked up and kept going, even if that meant finding something else to do, or another business to start.
Everyone has to fail first in order to succeed. I think it makes us stronger, it builds character, it makes us try hard and press farther. Recently I decided to go for something, something pretty big. I submitted the application which was full of personal information including essay questions which were really personal and deep. Going into it I realized I was severely under qualified in most areas, but I figured why not try anyway. Filling out those forms I learned so much about myself, about my true passions, about who I have become in the past few years and also who I am not. I hit the submit bottom with high anxiety but I had already decided that win or fail I was a winner because of the revelation I had about myself.
I waited for 2 long months, 8 weeks exactly to find out the answer, I was anxious either way just to know if this was something that was meant to be on my path. One day I checked my email and there it was.... "We have reviewed your application with careful consideration and have chosen to move forward with other candidates." And you know what? It didn't even phase me, I had a single moment of sadness and then that was it, I was happy to have the answer and to know that this wasn't on my path but that doesn't mean that God doesn't have big plans for me. In fact I think it means He has even greater plans for me! He has been directing and guiding me towards my path intensely for the past 3 years or so, so much so that I feel like I am able to name my passions and go for it. Where before I would dabble a little in this and a little in that, I'm now finding I'm doing less dabbling and more jumping right in.
Failure is not a bad thing! It just means that it's not for you, it's not meant to be on your path or maybe it was for a season but now you pick up and learn from those experiences and move on. If you don't know if it's meant to be on your path then test God! I pray all the time that God will give me guidance, give me a heart for what He wants me to be doing and to keep me in His will. But sometimes I can't hear His answer so I will test Him. I will do what I think He wants me to do, to test Him, and it will either work out or it won't. He will not keep you on a path that you aren't supposed to be on!
So go do that thing that you have been wondering if you are supposed to be doing, what's the worst thing that can happen? You fail? So what! That just means that God has bigger better things for you! Be excited about your path and your story, it's just one huge adventure in this sweet life that God has given us!
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