Failing Forward

It was the turning point in his life. Yet, at the time, he was filled with pain and uncertainty—even fear. The founder of a major advertising agency recently described his reaction when he was fired from his first job, working for a major public relations firm.

Looking back, he described feeling “worthless and professionally embarrassed.”

When he got home, his wife was folding diapers. After he described being fired, she paused and responded, “Well, something will turn up.” Then she smiled and returned to pulling diapers out of the dryer.

Her reaction gave him courage. Because of her support and confidence, he felt a sense of freedom—even freedom to fail. Buoyed by this confidence, he found a job working for a major advertising agency.

After a time, he and a colleague decided to form their own agency. Soon after taking this big step, they convinced a major company to hire their agency. It proved to be a breakthrough not only for the agency, but also the client. Their work has gone on to receive many honors. And the agency has become one of the most successful independent agencies in the world.

Reflecting what their founder learned about perseverance and freedom, the agency’s headquarters now displays a giant sign that reads, “Fail Harder.” The sign encourages others not to be afraid to fail, but to embrace the challenge.

For Believers, life can present many challenges. Successes and failures. There are times when all doors seem closed and nothing seems to work. But failures can be the preludes to incredible victories. We learn that God has a plan for our lives. We see that we can trust Him, and realize that He is working everything “together for good.”

Make sure that you trust God with your life. Let Him direct your paths, and always be confident in Him.