"There are no failures...."?

Take a minute to think about a time, or maybe a situation in your life where you failed miserably. I don't mean kind of failed, I mean REALLY failed. Got it? Ok. What was the result of the failure? Did you lose your job? Maybe your actions cost you a relationship? Perhaps you were arrested? Whatever the result I'm sure it was painful. And as painful as it was, there is a lot more to it than pain - IF you're willing to look for it and honest enough to accept it. 

If you're anything like me, you've had more than one of these failures and chances are you'll have a lot more of them before it's all said and done. Many of the most important lessons I've learned in my 36 years of trying were taught on the back end of my failures, or perceived failures. Being let go from my job early in 2012 taught me that I have to fully commit myself to my work. A run in with the law during my late teens taught me I'm 100% responsible for my actions. I could go on and on, but none of these were failures because each taught me an invaluable lesson. You see, there are no failures if you have found the lesson. 

Don't take it personally. For scientists, failures are simply data points that can lead to the right answer. The next time something doesn't go as planned, look at it as an effective learning experience.