EP 422: How to Reframe Failure With Self Compassion

As children, we are taught that failure is bad. This message comes to us in the subtle look of disappointment on a parent’s face. Or in the not so subtle big red F at the top of a test that must be signed by our disappointed parent and returned to our disappointed teacher. And then there is the straight-up cruel way our young peers will treat us in the face of failures big and small. Of course, since failure is a huge part of a kid’s life, these messages get repeated over and over until these words become our inner dialogue. That’s how we wind up as adults who are afraid of failure. And when we live a life in fear of failure, not only are we eliminating a huge and important part of our life experience, but we also inhibit our own growth and learning. Because fear leads to stress, and stress inhibits our ability to learn. The good news is that there is one simple thing you can do to turn all this around: change that inner voice to be one of kindness, compassion, and unconditional love and support. And to do that requires no more than a few minutes of practice each day. Are you ready?