I took this nugget of knowledge home with me and mulled it over. It made a lot of sense, so I reflected on all of my failures and what I've gained from them. It suddenly occurred to me that everyone who has ever accomplished something big failed big time at least once along the way, probably more than once. So here are some comforting facts about failure:

- Failure means you tried. And if you tried, if you gave it an honest shot, then really you’ve already succeeded. Making an attempt is half the battle.

- Failure clears the mental cobwebs. It forces you to get serious about what you’re doing. If whatever it is you’re chasing isn’t worth failing for, you probably won’t go after it again. This is why Martha Stewart is no longer a stockbroker. You think you have it all figured out, then a tremendous failure smacks you into reality. That’s ok, it’s actually quite helpful. Thanks for the guidance, failure.

- Failure builds patience. I've often said that “patience is a virtue that I lack.” This statement is untrue. I am extremely patient; I just hate having to be. The older I get and the more fulfilling the accomplishment I seek to achieve, the easier it becomes to be patient. Knowing what you want and working toward that goal is a powerful thing. Patience is key.

- Failure toughens you up. Sure, it’s difficult to feel good when you’re reeling from a disappointment, but each failure stings a little less than the one before. Failing helps you develop a strong mind and emotional stability. Failing never totally stops sucking, but we grow stronger and better each time.

- Failure makes you more resourceful. By now you’ve figured out that the way you’re approaching this thing isn’t working. It’s time to get crafty, to “think outside the box,” just as your high school commencement speaker urged you to do. Know that each unique attempt at your goal gets you one step closer. Make each new try better than the last.

So, really, failure isn’t that bad after all. Put it this way: when I was a kid, I heard a rumor that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. This comforted me when I was cut from the dance company and didn’t get an Ivy-League level SAT score (you know, real problems). Sometimes just knowing that you’re not alone is all it takes to help navigate you through the desert of failure. Take one of these tidbits and save it for when you need it most:

- It took Edison 1,000 tries to create a light bulb that actually worked. One thousand!

- Albert Einstein didn’t start speaking until he was four and was considered mentally handicapped as a child.

- Vera Wang failed to make the US Women’s Olympic figure-skating team in 1968. She refocused and by 1970 was a senior fashion editor at Vogue. She began designing wedding gowns at age 40.

- 27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’ first book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street.

- Over 1,000 restaurants originally rejected Colonel Sanders’ fried chicken. Eventually they stopped being finger-lickin' dumb.

- A newspaper fired Walt Disney saying that he had zero imagination and “no original ideas.”

-And it is true, Michael Jordan was totally cut from his high school basketball team.

The bottom line is this, find what you love and do it, 'cause there ain't no success without love (this guy knows what I’m talking about). And face your fears head on, because if Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 classic Strictly Ballroom taught us anything, it’s that “a life lived in fear is a life half lived.”

So follow Patton’s lead, get out there and fail! And know success is just around the corner.

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The Importance of Being a Failure