Finding the Good in Failure

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

Isn’t it funny how pursuing success can end up teaching us a lot about failure?

I dreamed about being a writer for a long time. Postponed it for years while I focused on being a wife and a mom — and facing my failures there. And my successes. There were those, too.

And then one day I stopped dreaming about writing. I stopped saying, “I want to be a writer” and I started doing the things that I needed to do to make my writing dream come true.

I attended conferences. Met with editors. And agents. Pitched article ideas. Submitted articles. Dealt with rejections and acceptances and deadlines and hopes and disappointments.

And my dream came true, just as I hoped … and in ways I never imagined.

Greater success than I’d hoped for and yes, more disappointing failures than I imagined too.

I discovered that the failures were the making of me more than the successes. 

A dream coming true doesn’t mean life is perfect. Oh, it may feel like that for a few fleeting moments. And it’s so very important to hApPy DaNcE whenever the opportunity arises. And a dream come true helps you realize your own imperfections as you wrestle with the “less than” moments that inevitably appear while you’re living the dream.

A dream come true such as … oh, a book contract, for example … is an opportunity for you to discover who you are when your dream is everything you ever hoped it would be … and when it’s not. When the applause is deafening … and when not a single person claps for you. When your efforts pay off (royalty check, anyone?) and when there seems to be no return on your efforts, either in dollars or stars (readers’ reviews).

Yes, I consider myself a successful author — and by that I mean I’ve been contracted since 2011 and I’m teaching and mentoring other writers and I’m surrounded by a wonderfully supportive writing community. But the best thing about pursuing this dream? I don’t fear failure like I used to.

In Your Words: Which do you fear more: success or failure? Why? And what good has come out of failure in your life?

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Finding the good in #failure - @BethVogt #writing #faith (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” 

A nonfiction writer and editor who said she’d never write fiction, Beth is now a novelist with Howard Books. She enjoys writing inspirational contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Connect with Beth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog on quotes, In Others’ Words.

Failure and Success

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

For too long I believed failure was only negative — something to be avoided at all costs.

Now I’m more accepting of failure. It may take me down for awhile, but it doesn’t defeat me or define me.

Don’t get me wrong: I like success just as much as anyone else. Bring it on! But I know  to achieve success, both personally and professionally, I have to take risks. I have to try new things, realizing that my efforts may or may not work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “Won’t know if it’ll work until we try it.” (Usually I’m discussing a book marketing idea.)

I’m getting more and more comfortable outside the safe zone. That’s where the fun happens—both failures and successes. That’s where new ideas are birthed and where I grow most as a person. Yes, sometimes an idea bombs. But that’s okay. A failed attempt doesn’t mean I’m a failure. It just means I get another chance to try something else—I get another chance to succeed!

In Your Words: How do you feel about failure and playing it safe? What’s been your most recent failure on the way to success?

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Failure, the unexpected path to success - thoughts from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

A failed attempt doesn’t mean I’m a failure - wisdom from author @BethVogt (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

A nonfiction writer and editor who said she’d never write fiction, Beth is now a novelist with Howard Books. She enjoys writing inspirational contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Connect with Beth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog on quotes, In Others’ Words.

From Failure to Failure

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

"Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill