The Power of Failure



93

19 Use Failure to Master Yourself

Few things can be more difficult than finding yourself failing in the heat of battle. Use this to your advantage. When you feel yourself faltering, practice staying calm and thinking clearly. Try to react coolly. You can breathe more deeply and slowly, picture a relaxing scene, or use calming internal self-talk. Use whatever techniques are most effective for you. This is a wonderful self-development exercise.

Most skills are not very useful if they fizzle out in the face of real challenge. Who needs special skills when things are going fine? It’s when you feel yourself sinking in the quicksand of impending failure that you most need your wits about you to find any possible way ...