Ever wondered why successful people put so much emphasis on learning from mistakes? It’s a universal truth that life is all about turning your failures into a path of success but it’s also through failures themselves that we get exposure to the harsh realities of life.
The secret lies in learning from your failures rather than getting disappointed by them. As a general rule, this principle can be applied in all walks of life but it becomes much apparent in our practical life. The harsh reality is that you will be confronted with multiple points of failure when it comes to people and the jobs you undertake.

Accept Your Failures

The power of accepting your mistakes or errors is the first rule you need to keep in mind. In essence, accepting failure showcases your willingness to learn. Some of us, due to ambition or egoism, deny the fact that they failed and instead blame their failures on others as a source of keeping themselves motivated. This can be catastrophic for your career or life. If you do not accept your failures, chances are your learning capacity will remain stagnant.

Don’t Let Failure Consume You

When you have failed in a certain project, don’t think that it should have been easy. It will be hard, you will be tested and the burden of proving yourself will be immense. This is the point where most people break down. They either give up or become accustomed to failures and forget to learn. This is where you need to accept the fact that you made the mistake and you’re willing to prove yourself.

Don’t Fear Failure

Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure itself is not dangerous. The danger lies in the fear of facing failure itself. The thing is when we fail whether in establishing a positive relationship with a coworker or in a task. Our instinct tells us that such a situation should be avoided in the future. This is where you need to change how you think. Do not avoid chances of failing. Rather, when you’re confronted with failure, learn it and make sure to not repeat the same mistake.

READ THIS: For a strategic guide that will help you move beyond mistakes to fulfill your potential and achieve success.

Consistency Is The Key To Success

We are not talking about the consistency to fail. We are emphasizing the point that learning from your mistakes should be a consistent factor. The fact is maybe you’ll fail multiple times and you might get overwhelmed by the criticism. During this process, you fail to learn anything significant. It is all about how well you can manage criticism and become consistent in learning.

Learn From The Failure Of Others

You are not the only one who fails. There are successful people out there who have failed before. You will have coworkers who will be failing may be in the same tasks as you. The point is, consider the world you live in as a place where there are opportunities to learn at all times. Learning from the failures of others can be a great way to avoid going down the same road in the future.

Recently I received an email from a website I follow and it caught my attention. The title was “Why (Not) Dave Ramsey?” Here is a link to the full article: Why (Not) Dave Ramsey?

The author has three reasons they gave as to why they would not recommend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University as a resource to learn how to manage your money. Here is my 2 cents to why I would amicably disagree:

Note: All reason headings are credited to Stewardship Financial Counsel

Reason #1: Dave Ramsey has NO educational credentials or professional experience in personal finance

To dismiss someone’s advice based on the fact that they do not have educational experience in the subject is short-sighted. Let’s see: Michael Dell, Founder of Dell Computers a former pre-med student, dropped out of the University of Texas during his sophomore year to found Dell Computers. Steve Jobs: no need for introduction, also a college drop out. I bet you use one of their products. How did you get to trust them?

Obtaining a degree or credentials in Personal Finance does not guarantee being the subject matter expert. It gives you a backbone of where to start. Experience most times is the best teacher.

“Personal finance is only 20% head knowledge. It’s 80% behavior!” – Dave Ramsey

Reason #2: Dave Ramsey’s advice is chock-full of conflicts of interest. Ultimately, YOU are the product he sells.

No one is chained to the rock and forced to use the “Endorsed Local Providers”. It is ironic how the author talks about the Endorsed Local Providers buy a spot to which Dave is the beneficially. Come On! Any business just like your website endorses some product to which you will benefit. Are my wrong? Business is about creating relationships as well as making the math right for your profits and part of that may require endorsing other business that aligns with your mission. That is why Dave has a team that finds and approves the “Endorsed Local Providers”.

I personally have used these Endorsed Local Providers and have learned a lot about finances that most Finacial adviser would not have shared that knowledge with me. Dave recommends advisers with the heart of a teacher so that you the individual gets to learn what your money is doing and not just leave it to the professionals. Whether recommended by Dave or not that is what a personal financial adviser should be doing. The advantage of using an Endorsed Local Providers ensures that one has a starting point to learn about finances.

Reason #3: Lastly and most importantly, Dave Ramsey is not a good witness to Christian living.

The author concludes with this reason I quote, ” It’s not my place to judge a person’s heart or the level of their conviction as a follower of Jesus.”

Then do not. The personal tweets pointed to, is two people disagreeing on a financial approach. Nothing that screams unChristian. The fruits of the spirits work in mystical ways and I believe Dave is doing the best he can to help people handle God’s finances. As we well know nothing on earth is ours, we are merely stewards taking care of it. Does he fall short in his words or actions? You bet! But that is human nature and we shall always fall short, but we get up every day trying to live our Christian values as best as we can.

Conclusion

Agree or disagree, at the end of the day, the decision is yours to make. I personally do not see anything that screams Dave is misleading people, but rather sharing with people and trying to help them with their personal finances. Dave definitely imparts some common sense. As I like to say, “Common sense is not common”. We, humans, are creatures of habit and sometimes it is hard to break bad habits especially when it comes to money. Here is a verse from the bible to contemplate: (Romans 12:2 NIV)

No estate, no accrued wealth, and no net worth. Why did we need a living will for?Every state has a basic living will, all it will cost you is two witnesses and a notarized stamp.

Money decisions are overwhelming nowadays and the unpredictable economy does not help. Life seems to revolve around money and choices have to be made. Some choices are easy and others are hard. Either way, we need to learn to make smart wise choices with money.