12 Things To Remember If You Ever Feel Like A Failure
Especially Since It’s Only A Feeling
Successful people know that being a failure (or a success) is hardly ever about the way you feel.
It’s much easier to feel ‘I have such a long way to go,’ than to say, ‘Look how far I have come!’ It is, therefore, safe to assume that everyone reading this feels like a failure more often than they feel like celebrating. The normal events of our everyday lives seldom put feathers in our caps.
That was certainly the case with Jacob, the Jewish patriarch who had an encounter with Jehovah God when he fled from his brother Esau whom he had just defrauded.
But God told this cheater: “For I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you. Genesis 28:15 (New Living Translation of the Bible)”
All of our lives are in the hand of God. Ultimately, his laws and principles govern the outcomes of our lives. We can either obey Him and have good success, or we can go our own way and endure the chaos our poor choices bring.
But God has a plan for you. Yes, YOU, dear Reader, individually.
And He wants your life to be fulfilled as you synchronize your plans and goals with what He wants you to have. He told Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, I know the thoughts [plans] I think toward you…to bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).
Here are some things you should remember on the frequent occasions that you feel like a failure.
- You don’t have to be “good” for God to be with you. Matter of fact, being not good and unworthy of God’s help is the position God wants you in.
- Your faults and failures do not put you out of the reach of God’s grace. In fact, that is precisely what makes you a good candidate.
- God’s plan for your life does not require your help. He knows all about you, especially your mistakes and sins. He chose you anyway. WHY? For His own glory.
Here’s how this applies to us.
4. The way you see the problem is often the problem.
5. John Maxwell said, “We listen to ourselves too much, and we don’t speak to ourselves enough.
6. Know that your sinfulness and unworthiness make you the right candidate for God’s grace.
7. It’s time to change what you have been telling yourself for so many years. You are nowhere as bad as it seems.
8. The most important consideration is whether you are taking Action toward your end goals.
So, let’s put this into Action.
9. Answer the question: “What do you say to yourself…” Feelings grow from thoughts. Thoughts are made of words you either hear or read. Begin to evaluate the words you allow to stay in your mind and heart.
10. Turn down the volume on the voice in your head, until you can no longer hear words like “I am such a failure!”
11. Begin telling yourself words like: “I am a child of God. He cares about what’s happening to me. He loves me and really has a plan for me.” Turn up that volume until you drown out the other voice.
12. Finish this statement: “Since I know that God is with me, then I know I cannot fail. Therefore my next step on this success path is ____” Write down the very next thing you will DO to advance your present goal, desire, or project.
Tony Robbins says the only appropriate path from negative feelings to success is massive determined Action. Taking action as you did in item #12 above makes you totally disqualified to be called a failure. So, forgive yourself.
If you’re thinking about what further action you can take, I’d like to invite you to consider hooking up with a Life Coach. A coach will not tell or teach you what to do. Instead, your coach will work with you to determine your best next steps forward.
At the end of the day, positive thoughts and actions will prevent ‘feeling like you’re a failure’ from sabotaging your success journey. After all, it’s only a feeling.