Today a friend shared with me a quote that resonated-“How do you double your success rate? You quadruple your failure rate.” For him, having this mindset removes the pressure he used to feel not to fail. Now he views each failure as moving him closer to success. 

It’s commonly noted that Edison failed thousands of times before creating his version of the light bulb. I’ve thought the moral of the story was that persistence pays off, and a person can be successful in spite of setbacks.

Today I’m appreciating a different perspective. I’m seeing failures not just as obstacles which can be overcome with fortitude, but as steps forward themselves. Armed with that view, I think I’ll feel freer and less afraid to fail. What risk is there when even failures advance us toward our goals?