We can’t hide our failures, let alone hide from them. It has been said that dentists’ mistakes are pulled; carpenters turn their mistakes into sawdust; doctors bury their failures and lawyers lock them up from the public view. For the rest of us, it seems as though the world is staring at every mistake we make.

A long time ago a friend revealed a saying that has always stuck with me and continues to serve as a reminder not to worry about outside opinions. The saying was, “What you think of me, is none of my business.” Every time I get the feeling others are watching and waiting for me to make an error or mistake, I remind myself of this saying. Most importantly, I remind myself that I am my worst critic and that I have the right and ability to choose what failure means to me.

Success depends on the way we interpret failure. If something doesn’t turn out our way, we can choose to view it as a positive learning experience or view it as a negative experience and allow it to rob us of our energies to move forward.