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3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It's no secret that our worst fear is often failure. But what if failure was actually a good thing?

"Failure is success in progress," Albert Einstein once said.

The great scientist was on to something. Encountering our fears and failures prompts the most necessary changes in our lives and our businesses.
Related: Biggest Failures, Best Advice and Defining Success From 14 Inspiring Entrepreneurs
Here's why every person, and every business, needs to fail at some point -- for failure is the very seed of growth and success.

1. Failure creates extraordinary change.

Failure can act as a seed for two things: a road to despair or a springboard to growth. What grows out of the initial failure is entirely up to the person who "failed."

It's easy to become downtrodden and lose motivation when things don't go as planned. Instead, use the failure as a mechanism to reset your perspective, make a mental change or embark on a new, much-needed direction.

Failure is necessary to shake things up. Otherwise, we would coast along comfortably but we wouldn't make any quantum leaps.

2. Failure builds tough skin.

Failure has an effect similar to a calloused heal. It's the protective layer we acquire from going around the block a few times and hitting a few bumps. Left soft and unprotected, we easily become injured. Failure builds a thick skin that can help anyone enter the big leagues without fear.

3. Failure keeps the ego in check.

Remaining down to earth and honest is a challenge in today's business world. When deal after deal is going through seamlessly and business is on a steep incline, it's easy to get a big head.
Related: Failure: The Key Ingredient to Winning
With that, those experiencing constant success may even resort to dishonesty if it means not losing what they have. They become slaves to success and before realizing it, they'll do anything to stay on top, things they would never have imagined. Partnerships and friendships are ruined. Family conflicts abound. It's all downhill from there, maybe except for the bank account.

Failure humbles us when we so desperately need to be humbled. It helps us remember where we came from and keeps us in check.

4. Failure creates "aha" moments.

Failure creates the moment when something is finally seen, found or understood in a way like never before -- the "aha" moment. Why?

It's just like solving a complicated math problem. It's tough to understand at first, but walk away for a moment and, suddenly, something clicks. The answer just comes out of nowhere.

But it's not really coming from "nowhere." It comes from a buildup within our minds as the constricting thoughts of failure and fear expand. The expansion results in an explosive energy that breaks us out of constriction and into a highly energetic, creative state when things become clear and new insight is gained.

5. Failure propels growth as an entrepreneur.

Failure prepares us for what lies ahead. Entrepreneurs come across things they didn't know they needed to know almost every day. Failures catalyze much of this knowledge because they are unexpected. How else do we learn what we don't know we need to know? It's never something that can be planned.
Related: Richard Branson on Bouncing Back From Failure

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Failure Is the Seed of Growth and Success

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3 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. It's no secret that our worst fear is often failure. But what if failure was actually a good thing? "Failure is success in progress," Albert Einstein once said. The great scientist was on to something.

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Ali spent his first game in disappointment until the last final seconds where all of his hard work and dedication

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Ali had a lot of pressure on him to do great things with people trying to take advantage of him it was hard to concentrate. Ali has some struggles even before he got into the NFL.

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Since Ali lived in a very racist and prejudiced area he was not able to succeed in football until his junior year of high school. He finally got his break as a local star in his community but then be broke his leg and became a nobody. Everyone telling him that he will not succeed and to give up made him work even harder. With no scholarships by his senior year he decide to try out for a elite college football team.  With everyone telling him that he’s not good enough or to take alternative route he believed in himself and made the team and became a star and would later on be a first round draft pick.

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Ali is in a whole new state now with his mom, two step brothers and step father and no family for 100’s of miles, so  he has to adjust to a whole new life at the age of 11.

This situation has turned a little Ali into a whole new dark mean person. For the next 2 year Ali’s life were finally content and normal but it seemed to good to be true. At the age of 13 Ali finds out his step father was gay and on heroine and 6 months later dies of an overdose. With his mom being a stay at home mom with 2 toddler’s Ali became man of the house and had to provide for his family at 13. With not being able  to go get a real job he turns to the streets and sells drugs for his family. In this process he gets in trouble with the law gets in a lot of legal trouble. By the age of 14 he gets kicked out of school and home schooled this is when he found his love for football. With all of this built up anger and free time on his hands he found a local gym and took all of his negative energy and made it positive.

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Ali was born into hardship. When he was born he had 105 broken bones and for the first 6 months of his life he struggled to survive but by the age of two he was fully recovered. By the age of 4 his dad became abusive mentally and physically. His dad would beat, him throw him and break him. Later on Ali got taken away from his dad and his mom took over as the parent. At the age of 10 his dad would kidnap him and take him out of the country. His mom fighting to find him and take him back a nationwide search was put in place to find Ali. When he was found Ali’s mom would take him far way as possible so his dad would never find him.

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Some people think they deserve all the good things in life simply because others have them. It never occurs to them that the folks they marvel at probably worked their butts off and made great sacrifices to earn those rewards. If you believe the American work ethic is "old school," you'd better repeat the class. Are you willing to make the sacrifice?

Don't get me wrong...it's understandable that everyone wants the comforts in life, but it's unreasonable to expect rewards without earning them. The fact is, rewards aren't there for the asking; they're given to the deserving.

You may be thinking this message is limited to material possessions, but that's not the case. The fact is, lasting friendships, successful business partnerships, well-adjusted children, and long-term marriages don't just happen. They're the result of hard work and commitment. Plus, you must be willing to make sacrifices if you want success in these areas.

All Great Achievements Require Sacrifice

Every relationship, romantic or otherwise, requires a certain level of sacrifice to achieve success. When you care for someone, you're willing to make these sacrifices because you have their best interest at heart, not because you have a gun to your head. This doesn't mean you have to forgo all your needs or abandon your principles, but relationships thrive when you forge mutual dependence in which you build something better together than you would have apart.

Friendship. There's a difference between a friend and an acquaintance. As a friendship develops, each person becomes more invested in the relationship. That means trust, respect, selflessness, and commitment become hallmarks. That doesn't just happen. It requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice on everyone's part.

Business partnerships. A true partnership is a win-win rather than a winner-take-all proposition. That means not trying to gain the upper hand, but rather, compromising and sacrificing for the good of the whole.

Marriage. Marriage is not a living arrangement or the pooling of finances; it represents the ultimate commitment. Marriage is a solemn promise to share your life with another person rather than going it alone. That means putting your heart into the relationship and embracing a mindset of "we" rather than "me" and of "what's mine is now ours."

Parenting. Having kids is not the same as being a parent. Behind every good kid are parents, or caregivers, who understand the importance of raising them that way. That means offering them your unconditional love and making the sacrifice that enables them to flourish and reach their true potential.

How Giving Enriches You

Life is all about choices; you get to decide what you're willing to give up in order to gain the things that you cherish most. If you're not willing to sacrifice, you'll get what you deserve.

Some people think the world revolves around them... their comfort, their preferences, and their happiness. Although they want healthy relationships, they're not willing to make the effort or the sacrifice that's required. Instead, they're more likely to exploit every opportunity to get what they want...but at what cost?

If you want to build trust and earn the respect of others, you have to earn it. No one wants to be friends with or work alongside people who are egotistical or selfish. Good people make sacrifices for others. It's that simple. Be willing to make the first kind gesture and watch something magical happen. Whether it's for your neighbor, family, or country, people with strong moral character make sacrifices for the greater good. They give freely of themselves without any expectation of personal gain because they're as excited about the success of others as they are about their own. The way I see it, give of yourself because it's the right thing to do and more often than not, it comes back to you. Sacrifice for the greater good AND for your own good.

Are You Willing to Make the Sacrifice?
Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.
Additional Reading:
The Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Parenthood Isn't Child's Play
Compromise: Redefining Winning
There's More to Friendship Than Friending

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Sacrifice for the Greater Good AND for Your Own Good

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some people think they deserve all the good things in life simply because others have them. It never occurs to them that the folks they marvel at probably worked their butts off and made great sacrifices to earn those rewards. If you believe the American work ethic is "old school," you'd better repeat the class.