Unleash the lion inside of you: The difference between the REAL you VS the ROLE you

Everyone fails at something at some point - several times even. You can either choose to regard failure as defeat, loss, setback. Or, you can choose to regard it as positive experience - opportunity to learn what not to do and how to make it better next time.

Failure can actually accelerate your success if you just take the time to learn from them, and apply that knowledge to your next endeavor.

Looking at failure as a positive experience, gives you the freedom to try out new things, welcome bigger risks, and be more creative in solving each piece of the puzzle. If you don't get your objectives, then ask yourself - "What valuable learning did I get from this?"

What you learned from failures and then subsequently apply will bring you greater success in the long term. Like the famous quote says "Success is when opportunity meets preparation"

Logically, it all makes sense. And, intellectually, you can accept that "failure" can be a good experience (or at least will lead to good experiences). Accepting that in your head is one thing. Dealing with failure emotionally is a totally different story.

Before you can learn from your failures, you must learn to fail. And in order for you to do that, you must understand failure and put it in the proper perspective.

When you fail at something, YOU are not the failure. You - the person with intrinsic worth - DID NOT FAIL. Instead, it was your attempt - your action plan - strategy, technique that failed. NOT YOU.

There's a difference between the REAL YOU and the ROLE YOU.

The REAL YOU is defined by your self-identity - your sense of worth. The ROLE YOU is defined by your performance in any role you play - brother, sister, dad, mom, leader, salesperson. You may not be a particularly skilled salesperson, but doesn't affect your self worth - THE REAL YOU. It only means that there is room for improvement in your selling skills.

You must not take role-failures personally - it has nothing to do with your personal worth.

To your success,

Dr. Sales

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