One’s ability to succeed, is always proportional to one’s willingness to fail.

The idea that success is proportional to one’s willingness to fail is one of those truths that sounds deceptively simple — until you live it. Think of every person you admire for their success, whether it’s in business, art, sports, or relationships. Behind their glossy moments, you’ll find countless missteps, unexpected setbacks, and, yes, failures.

Yet, it’s precisely in these failures that seeds of real success are planted. Failure is uncomfortable; it’s inconvenient and can even feel humiliating. But it’s also transformative. Like going through a hard winter, every time we fail, we’re pruned of weak or superficial growth. What remains is stronger and more resilient.

Imagine a young artist, Sarah, standing on the brink of her first gallery exhibition. She’s spent years working tirelessly, pouring her soul into her art. The night before the big opening, she sits alone in her dimly lit studio, staring at a painting that’s the culmination of months of effort. It’s her most ambitious piece yet — a bold blend of colors and textures, a portrait of raw emotion. But as she looks at it, doubt gnaws at her, whispering that she should have played it safe. Who is she to take such a risk?

And as the hours pass, the voice in her head grows louder. What if nobody understands her work? What if she’s misunderstood, or worse — forgotten? The fear of failure settles in like a shadow, tugging at her dreams, and for a moment, she considers abandoning the whole exhibit.

The key here isn’t failure itself but the mindset around it. People who embrace failure tend to be more inventive and resourceful. It’s as if the willingness to fail gives them permission to think freely, to be more daring in their pursuits. It loosens the constraints, the mental straightjackets that keep most people in the safe zone. This safe zone is a killer to creativity and growth. It might feel comfortable, but it’s stagnant, offering little room to flourish. True success, the kind that doesn’t just lift you financially but also fulfills you, doesn’t grow there.

So back to Sarah….

But then she remembers the words of a mentor who once told her, “Success doesn’t come to those who never fall. It comes to those who aren’t afraid of the fall.” Those words have haunted and guided her in equal measure since she first heard them. She takes a deep breath, reminding herself that every successful person she admires has faced this same inner battle, teetering between their dreams and the fear of falling short.

That night, Sarah decides that if failure comes, she’ll meet it head-on. She lets go of her fear, choosing to see this moment as a step on her path rather than a test of her worth. She knows, in her gut, that if she wants to push boundaries, she has to be willing to stumble over them sometimes.

Imagine the resilience required to keep getting back up after each of those “failures.” One’s willingness to endure these losses and keep pushing forward transformed one into a legendary persona. This isn’t just about grit; it’s about a willingness to fail because each miss was a lesson. With each mistake, she recalibrated, adjusted, and returned to the reality , sharper and more determined than before.

Failure, in this story, becomes less about a “fall” and more about a “springboard.” It’s like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. Every failure, every setback, is a chance to grow, to build resilience, and to learn something new. It takes courage to embrace failure because our society tends to glamorize success and gloss over the hard parts. But the truth is that every successful person has fallen multiple times. They’ve struggled, doubted themselves, and probably thought about giving up. But they didn’t, because they understood that failure is not the opposite of success — it’s part of it.

And what’s next with Sarah ?

The next evening, her exhibition opens. It’s a modest gathering — friends, family, a few art critics. She watches as they move through the room, lingering by some pieces, passing by others. Her boldest piece, the one she doubted most, becomes the focal point of conversation. A few people don’t quite get it; some are polite, some curious, some dismissive. But then, there’s a shift. A stranger steps up, someone she’s never met, and stands in silent admiration of her work. He’s not saying a word, but Sarah can see it in his eyes — he gets it.

In that moment, she realizes something profound: this one connection, this one person truly feeling her work, is worth every doubt and misstep. She’s touched someone’s life, and that’s a success that all the polished, predictable choices in the world couldn’t have achieved.

So, where does that leave us? We can choose to be paralyzed by failure, to avoid risks, and to stay safely within the bounds of what we know we can achieve. Or we can step out, take a chance, and let failure be our teacher. When we embrace failure, we give ourselves permission to pursue our passions more freely. We let go of the crippling need for perfection and start to value growth, learning, and resilience over mere success.

Then ….

As the years pass, Sarah’s career grows, but it isn’t a straight line to acclaim. She faces highs and lows, moments of celebration, and many times of self-doubt. But she remembers that night in the studio, when she first chose to embrace failure as a part of her journey. She learns that each “failure” isn’t an end but a nudge in a new direction, and she welcomes each as a teacher.

The path to success is never straight. It’s filled with curves, bumps, and detours. But each failure brings us closer to our destination.

Therefore…

Over time, she realizes that the willingness to face failure isn’t just about resilience. It’s about honesty. It’s about letting herself be vulnerable enough to put her work out there, flaws and all, knowing that true success is as much about connection as it is about accomplishment. And she finds a strange peace in that. She understands that, while success can look different from what she once imagined, it’s still hers to define.

Success isn’t an end result — it’s a journey shaped by both triumphs and failures. Failure is a part of the recipe. Without it, our victories would be empty and our growth stunted. The more we are willing to fail, the more we open ourselves up to possibility, to adventure, to the chance of discovering something amazing.

And finally …

One day, years after her first exhibit, Sarah is asked to give a talk to young artists. Standing in front of a room full of hopeful faces, she offers them this thought: “Success doesn’t belong to the fearless. It belongs to those who can look failure in the eye and walk forward anyway.”

This, she knows now, is the real secret to her journey — not in the flawless pieces she once dreamed of creating, but in the courage it took to face each failure and keep going.

Success, she realizes, is not the reward at the end of the road. It’s the journey itself — the triumphs, the stumbles, the quiet nights alone with a canvas and a dream. And as she watches the young artists nod, she hopes they, too, will find the courage to embrace failure — not as an obstacle, but as a friend guiding them closer to their true selves.

And as someone shared with me : Besides, all failures are temporary, all tigers are paper, and life is a many splendored thing.

Go for it 👍🏻

Love always

Jimmy .