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.