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
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.
In practice
In a graduation speech to inspire students to embrace challenges.
Failure is not the outcome - failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.
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.
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.
I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver.
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.
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.
Nothing can drag you down if you're not holding on to it.
Make up your mind what you want to do, and go and get it. Make sure it is not at the expense of anyone else, though.
Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground.
People will try to label you not good enough, too slow, too old, too many mistakes. You can't stop negative comments or prevent negative labels, but you can choose to not let them hold you back.
I am running to make history, to show that no human is limited. It's not about money, it's about showing a generation of people that there are no limits.
I want to go to practice. I want to be in the huddles. That's me.
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