I had a coaching call with a coach / influencer this morning - first time call - and we spent some time on the world "fail". It was a word he had been continually using: - "I failed at this" - "My business has failed" - "I've failed to earn enough" etc I challenged his use of the word (fail). Challenged not in the sense of was it "true" or "untrue". More so, did it "serve him" to both view it that way and to describe it that way. Did it serve him and did it serve his followers was the question... He soon realized that use of said word took him to problem state. It made it feel it was all closed and definitive now and then by extension, a negative experience and outcome. AKA - a problem or a loss. And this typically brings us down. I challenged him to reimagine it was not yet a "fail" but a "work in progress". As of right now yes, the dots haven't connected but it doesn't mean they can't and won't with either some changes in inputs or the passing of more time. A good time to remind him of the famous Edison quote (see image) of "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work". A good time to remind him of the power of the word "yet". AKA - "I have not made it work YET". Yet implies it's still open. Still in process. Still possible. There is still a commitment towards it. In short, YET keeps you in solution mode. And being in solution mode is a hell of a lot better than retreating to problem mode when there is still a willingness to get to the better place you aspire to get to!