We are all raised to win and failing on something usually means that we have disappointed our loved ones. This is the reason why many people are afraid of pursuing what they want in life, afraid that they would fail. That said, this is not always the case. Learning how failure can help you reach your dream is something that we can learn from Sarah Blakely, the youngest self-made female billionaire.
The Failure of Sarah Blakely
When Sarah was young, her father encouraged them to fail. Failing, for her father, is not the outcome but the failure of not trying something out. When Sarah grew up, she often stressed herself out and one day, she was so overstressed that she cut the feet off the pantyhose that she was wearing, and invented the footless pantyhose. She created her Spanx company and tried selling the footless pantyhose but nobody was buying her product. She heard so many no's but that didn't stop her from trying and even joined Richard Branson's Rebel Billionaire. Although she did not win, Branson gave her some money to start her charity and the rest, as they say, is history.
What we can learn from Sarah's story
Many of us are afraid to explore our potentials because we are afraid of the risks that come with it and the possibility of being turned down. Even though Sarah has received so many no's for her product, she persevered and did not let these stop her from achieving her dreams. The biggest risk that one can commit is not risking at all. We have to step out of our comfort zone and be unafraid to be turned down to achieve what we want in life.
Humility and Finding Yourself
Some people who become rich turn into a totally different person which is something that one should not succumb to. Although Sarah is a billionaire today, that does not stop her from sharing and supporting women who need help -- she gives back to the community through her foundation. She believes that the money she made came from the failures and risks she had taken in her life and thus lives her life with humility. Money, she believes is just a driving tool in helping us become more than what we are and if we live in humility, it will improve what we are in life. Thus we must live our lives with humility and we will be happy and will be on the road towards reaching our full potential and earn our first billion.
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