Our Top Tip at Bromley Speakers last week was ‘give yourself permission to fail’. But no-one likes to fail, do they?
What’s important to realise is that failure is an integral part of our path to success and that when you give yourself permission to fail, this actually makes you stronger and more resilient.
If we are participating fully in life, failure is something that can’t be avoided. People who embrace failure are more likely to try new things and aim for more challenging goals, without worrying about damaging their ego.
Here at Bromley Speakers we want our guests and new members to know that this is a safe place to fail. We create a comfortable environment where we can all practice our speaking skills so that when we are in situations outside of the club, such as at work or speaking to an audience – or even in a social environment – we can feel more confident in our speaking ability.
We are here to encourage and guide you; to give you honest and helpful recommendations on what you can do to improve and move forward. That’s why we have mentors to support you on your journey of failures and successes.
But what actually is failure? Failure sounds like a very negative word doesn’t it? The dictionary says that it’s the lack of success, and lack of success doesn’t sound so negative. It just means that we haven’t succeeded…..YET!
Failure is all about perception. It’s the fear of failure itself that holds us back. And the fear of failure is an entirely natural feeling, but it’s just a feeling. It’s a feeling that is brought about by our thoughts and past life experiences.
We need to fail to grow. If we haven’t failed, we’ve probably not been trying hard enough, or ventured far enough outside of our comfort zone. Failure is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves. When we fail, or don’t succeed, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on these experiences and notice if we can learn anything from them.
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently
Henry Ford
So….. move outside your comfort zone, take a risk – it’s ok to fail. It’s an opportunity to come back stronger and more confident!
Bromley Speakers meets on the first, third and fifth Thursdays of the month at Ripley Arts Centre