How Do You See Yourself?

Everyone does stupid stuff. We walk into squeaky clean glass doors, thinking they are open. We accidentally miss our mouth and shove the straw up our nose. We drop our new iPhone in the toilet while playing Angry Birds. We all fall and bust our face when we try to ride a BMX on four solid inches of ice... (OK, so that last one was probably just me...)

The point is, failure is imminent in a fallen world. John Maxwell, renowned leadership expert, author and consultant encourages us how to utilize our mistakes in his book, Failing Forward, just one of many books I recommend by Mr. Maxwell.

Failure is humbling. It gives us new perspective on who we are and helps us look at ourselves in a different light. In turn, it changes who we  are for the better, and when we become better people, we see others differently. In another one of Maxwell's books (titled,  Winning With People), he tells this story:

A traveler nearing a great city asked an old man seated by the road, "What are the people like in this city?"

"What were they like where you came from?" the old man asked.

"Horrible," the traveler reported. "Mean, untrustworthy, detestable in all respects."

"Ah," said the old man, "you will find them the same in the city ahead."

I gather that, until we change, individually, how we see others will be negative. Our hearts must choose to see others in a positive light, to give the benefit of the doubt and to see the good in those around us, despite the bad they may do. It is in realizing that we all fail that we realize how valuable each person is in God's eyes. Of course, sometimes, reality just doesn't kick in for us, and we have to experience failure firsthand to realize truths like these. Those kinds of failures are painful, but necessary. As Maxwell says it, "Stupid hurts."

Oh, and John Maxwell? Well, take a look...even the best leaders and the wisest of men from our perspective can fail.  So, what are you going to do with your next  failure(s)? (Click the pic below for a full story)