Failure feels terrible. Maybe you didn’t get a job you applied for, maybe your idea for a school fundraiser was a total dud, or maybe you just got impatient and yelled at your kids. Again.
When we fail, we are sometimes tempted to live in denial or drown our sorrows in unhealthy ways, but this week I want to invite you to spend some time thinking about healthy ways to respond to failure—so we can learn and grow from our experiences.
Click on the player above to listen or scroll down to view the shownotes.
Snippet from the Show
“Sometimes when we fail, the temptation is to feel like you don’t have any control, but in any situation, you can choose how you react.”
SHOWNOTES
1) Acknowledge how you feel.
Don’t pretend it didn’t happen or that it doesn’t matter. If you are feeling angry or sad or embarrassed, allow yourself to fully experience that feeling without judgment.
2) Stop any negative coping.
Avoid engaging in numbing behaviors like drinking or overeating. A little indulgence might be soothing, but make sure this is not your go-to for bad feelings.
3) Find helpful outlets.
Find out what will help you process what you are feeling in a healthy way. Calling a friend or venting to your husband can be helpful. Or maybe go for a long drive or take a walk to be alone for a while. Of course prayer works here too!
4) Accept responsibility.
Find out how you might have contributed to the failure. What did you do or not do that caused it? Don’t look to blame others.
5) Learn from it.
Failure can help us to better understand the kind of people we are, the kind we want to be, or in what ways we still need to work on ourselves or gain new skills. What can you learn about yourself, about others, or about what your goals are and should be from your experience of failure?
6) Make a plan for the future.
Do not stay there in your failure! Make a plan to apply for a new job, make a new friend, learn a new skill, or … whatever you decide comes next!
RESOURCES
You Are Enough: What Women of the Bible Teach You About Your Mission and Worth, is available for order! Use the code, GIRLFRIENDS to receive ten percent off your order.
EVENTS
- Saturday, June 29, 2019: Scioto Catholic Family Conference in Portsmouth, OH
- July 30-August 2: Catholic Marketing Network in Lancaster, PA
- Saturday, November 16, 2019:You Are Enough Retreat at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando, FL
- Saturday, January 11, 2020: You’re Worth It Retreat, St. Michael Church, Exeter, NH
- Saturday, March 7, 2020:You’re Worth It Retreat at Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, IN
- Saturday, March 28, 2020: Women’s Conference in Norwich, CT
Want me come to your community to speak or give my retreat, You Are Enough, based on the themes in my newest book? Get all the information here!
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