Life is filled with successes and failures, but it always seems like the failures are what always resonate within us. One failure can void multiple successes and bring down our confidence in ourselves. So how can we learn how to cope with failure and use it to our advantage? Some of the most successful people faced failure, but found a way to overcome it. Michael Jordan was cut from varsity basketball and Albert Einstein was advised to drop out of school. Even though one is a professional basketball player and the other is one of the most influential scientists, they share one thing in common; they refused to give up.

I just finished reading a book by Dwayne Smith titled, The Christian Athlete: Honoring God in Sports, and it explains an inspiring method of handling failure and using it to succeed. It outlines a five-step method: FOCUS.

F

Failure. It is inevitable; unfortunately, we cannot always succeed. We may pour our heart into something and give it everything we have, but it still may not be enough. The only true failure is when you give up.

O

Own it. Accept that you failed and that you cannot always succeed. Instead of wallowing in the failure and making excuses, own up to it. Your circumstances or opportunities may have not been great, but you still failed. But don't worry, you're still going to be okay. You don't have to end on that failure.

C

Correct it. After you've owned it, find the source of the problem. Seek help from other people, pray about it, and correct the problem. Go back to the fundamentals and be patient. Nobody is perfect so don't expect perfection; expect yourself to work hard and improve.

U

Use it. Once you have made the correction, practice it; use it! You can't get better at anything unless you practice and use it frequently. You can't get an A on that upcoming test if you don't study often, and you can't make that team if you don't get out on the field or court and practice. Get experience and maintain the correction.

S

Success. So you have failed, you owned it, you corrected it, and you used it. You've finally made it to SUCCESS! You did all those practice problems and studied every night so you got that A! You got out on the field or court and practiced your heart out and you made that team!

Think about it... Would you have ever worked that hard had you not known failure? No, you would have kept doing what you were doing because you were succeeding. Failing makes us work harder and in the end makes us a better person. Someone who knows how to come back from failure will be immensely successful in life considering failure lurks around almost every corner of life.

Some say the best teachers, athletes, workers, and coaches are the one's who know failure and know it well. This is because they know how to handle it and come back from it. They accept their shortcomings and use them to their advantage to work hard and find innovative ways to improve. So next time you fail, own it, correct it, use it, and you will find the success you desire.