Failure is not the outcome - failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.
Sara BlakelyRead
I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating. Most people attach failure to something not working out or how people perceive you. This way, it is about answering to yourself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Failure is a guide that helps redirect us rather than a definitive end.
This quote by Sara Blakely emphasizes the perspective on failure as a necessary part of the journey toward success. Instead of viewing failure as a negative outcome, the quote encourages a mindset that focuses on the value of trying and learning from experiences. Blakely suggests that real liberation comes from evaluating our own efforts rather than worrying about external judgments and outcomes, highlighting the importance of self-reflection and personal growth.
Themes
FailureSuccessMotivationGrowthSelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire students to embrace challenges.
More from Sara Blakely
All quotes →My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn't have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.
Sara BlakelyRead
Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently.
Sara BlakelyRead
I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver.
Sara BlakelyRead
I failed the LSAT. Basically, if I had not failed, I'd have been a lawyer and there would be no Spanx. I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating.
Sara BlakelyRead
I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people - don't tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment it is the most vulnerable - one negative comment could knock you off course.
Sara BlakelyRead
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