We all get kicked in the teeth at some point in our lives. If it has not happened to you yet, it is just a matter of time. Failure is the process by which we succeed. If you are not failing, you are probably not trying.

That said, do not get good at it, otherwise you will become just another loser in life. We often fall short because of the risk of failure.

When my beautiful little grandchildren visit, I see them evolve. One-year-old Adelaide Olivia is a lot like her cousins Ashley, Ava, Cameron and Keenan. A risk taker at first—then she plops down with an element of frustration.

THE GOOD NEWS is she has a short memory and hops back up, seeking another way to flop. It is the story of life. Failure is just another opportunity to begin again. Infant children like Adelaide are pre-programmed to bounce back up and have another go at it. They see it as a detour, not a dead end.

The clever thing about innocent infant children is they never let success become an obstacle and they never let failure get into their hearts. They keep plugging, determined to find another way to reach their goals.

For a little one like Adelaide Olivia, each letdown is a lesson in how not to do it again. Moreover, it is an admission that they are not afraid of the consequences of disappointment. Those become a stepping stone to success.

I SHARED THE platform with speaker Dennis Waitley on several occasions. He says, “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is a delay, not a defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”

More simply put, if one is not willing to fail, one can never be ready to succeed. It is the price of admission.

My old friend Bob Orben, an author and speaker who is a fellow Legend of the Speaking Profession, was a speech writer for Gerald R. Ford. He was a leading expert in the area of observational comedy, always seeking to find the humor in a situation. He cleverly said “Do not think of it as failure. Think of it as timereleased success.”

IF I COULD get into little Adelaide’s mind, that is exactly how she sees the next hurdle. The nice thing for infant children is there is no expiration date on trying. They take a deep breath and dive right in again.

In life, the message one garners from frequent failures far outweighs the benefits of any successes. When you absorb defeat, you never really lose anything because of the valuable lesson you take away. Some might even argue, the bigger the failure the greater the lesson.

Failure is not the opposite of success; in fact, it is part and parcel to success. Failure is a destination of those who give up. Success is the reward for those who keep getting up.

THIS EXPLAINS WHY socialism will never work. Churchill said it best: “Its inherent virtue is the sharing of misery.” It is okay to fail many times as long as we take responsibility and never blame another for our defeat.

I would rather live a generation with tons of mistakes than to enjoy a lifetime of never failing for never having tried. Doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever will.

We all have moments of insecurity and uncertainty, but education will breed confidence, hope and ultimately peace in your heart.

Michael Aun is the co-author “Build a Better You, Starting Now” Volume Five.