Don’t confuse preparation for failure

Sometimes in life you get what you want. Other times… you get what you need to grow into the person who can actually handle it.

Most people see that as failure. They think the delay means they’re not ready, or the setback means they’re off track. But after doing this for decades, I can tell you...those “setbacks” are often the reps that build your strength. The lesson you’re learning right now may feel inconvenient, even unfair. But it’s actually preparing you to carry the success without crumbling when you get it.

The truth is this: wanting it isn’t enough. You’ve gotta become someone who can sustain it. And that happens in the uncomfortable seasons...not the easy ones. Confidence comes from showing up again after you stumble. Clarity comes after the messy attempts, not before them. The struggle builds capacity if you let it.

So no...you’re not behind. You’re being conditioned. You’re being shaped into the person who will not just reach the goal… but hold it, grow it, and lead with it.

If you stop looking at this moment as proof you’re failing and start seeing it as the phase that’s building your foundation, everything changes. Because the people who learn in the struggle become the ones who are unstoppable when the opportunity arrives.

365

515 comments