Failure is good. If you are not failing you are not trying. You are being too safe. You are too afraid of criticism. All those famous entrepreneurs we talk about (Jobs, Musk, Branson) all failed in huge ways throughout their lives. Let me give you an example in the spirit of July.

Disneyland.

It opened on July 17, 1955. Life Magazine did an article recently where they pointed out that: “The brand new park featured a Frontierland complete with a Davy Crockett museum, an Adventureland with hydraulically operated jungle animals and Sleeping Beauty’s castle, which would soon include a model torture chamber.”

The $17 million park, built on a 160-acre site, was “the most lavish amusement park on earth,” but its opening day was a disaster. Traffic was backed up for hours, delaying celebrity guests. The temperature crept above 100 degrees, causing heels to sink into soft asphalt, while a plumbers’ strike decommissioned all water fountains. Oh, and there was a gas leak, too. Practically everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. (See here)

After a bad opening day did Walt Disney and his team just pack it up and go home? Did they whine and throw up their hands in defeat? No. They woke up the next day and made it that much better. They learned from their mistakes and made adjustments.

Be encouraged today to take the failures and discouragements you are facing – in ministry, business, raising kids, your marriage, etc., – and wake up today ready to change and make adjustments. And know that failure is a core part of success in life, so when it comes, expect it, adjust and keep going.

If you’re not failing, you’re not leading,or being original and likely not making the world a more exciting place to be!