What if failure wasn’t the end, but the beginning of something extraordinary?
As a child, I experienced the profound sting of failure when my Grade 2 teacher told me, in front of the entire class, that I had failed Grade 1. That moment didn’t just mark a poor academic performance—it redefined how I saw myself. From then on, I wasn’t just someone who had failed; I was a failure. That story stayed with me, shaping how I navigated life.
I grew up in an environment where success was the goal, and failure was something to avoid at all costs. I became obsessed with proving my worth—trying to outwork, outshine, and outrun my deepest fear: that I wasn’t enough. Yet the more I tried to escape failure, the more it seemed to find me.
What I’ve learned since then is that failure isn’t the enemy. It’s a teacher. Failure doesn’t define us—it refines us. What we’re really avoiding isn’t the failure itself; it’s the discomfort that comes with it. But it’s in that discomfort where growth happens.
Through my work with teens and adults, I’ve witnessed the same transformation. When we embrace vulnerability, confront discomfort, and lean into failure, we unlock our greatest potential. Failure isn’t the end—it’s the opportunity to rise stronger.
So, I ask you: What if your greatest fear is the key to unlocking your greatest contribution to the world? What if, as Marianne Williamson said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”?
Remember this: Failure doesn’t define you. It refines you. And every time you rise, you grow closer to becoming the person you are meant to be.
(I start at 2:50 and end at 12 minutes.)
