You see, failure is your friend. Failure’s goal is to teach each of us lessons.

For people trying to add muscle to their bodies, you must lift weights to failure. Each week when you attempt those same lifts, your body will be able to push further until a new failure kicks in. Keep repeating this process, and muscles will grow.

You can use this same physical process for every exercise or sporting skill you’re trying to master.

Think about all the practices and drills in order to play sports, musical instruments, artistry and years of education.

Each and every learned behavior of your existence was due a succession of failures.

Don’t we also learn from failed relationships, raising children, financial decisions and the quest to be spiritual? Starting to make sense?

You can’t let failure beat you up. Yes, sometimes it hurts and will get you down, but that’s your moment to build character.

A college professor of mine once told a story about Charles Schultz, the creator of the “Peanuts” cartoon. Schultz became severely depressed and chose to end his life by running until he had a heart attack. He took off sprinting in New York’s Central Park until he passed out.

When he woke, he walked home upset that the attempt failed. He continued this process each day until he realized that he was getting in shape and was deleting depression.

Now, this story might have been false, but the message made was clear to us college students.

Continual failure should harden you and make you stronger. Once this happens, then you can shake off failure like a doormat.

Failure only means that you’ve pushed yourself to the limit.

Believe me, you will find happiness and self-confidence through failure. Think about it.