Christian Business Concepts
Christian Business Concepts
Learn, Grow, Let Go: Leaving Failures In The Past
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Unlock the secret to transforming your setbacks into stepping stones with me, Harold Milby, on this episode of Christian Business Concepts. Have you ever wondered how renowned figures like Colonel Sanders, JK Rowling, and Elon Musk turned their failures into monumental successes? Through the lens of godly principles, we'll explore how to rise above setbacks with stories of perseverance and resilience, all while drawing inspiration from biblical teachings like Proverbs 24:16 and Philippians 3:13-14. Discover why dwelling on past failures can lead to stagnation and learn how a shift in perspective, anchored in faith, can propel you forward with confidence and purpose.
We'll guide you through practical steps for overcoming failures, emphasizing the power of acknowledging mistakes and practicing self-compassion. Self-forgiveness becomes a pivotal tool in releasing the guilt and shame that hold us back, allowing us to cultivate a growth mindset. This journey is about more than just personal success; it's about integrating Christian principles into your professional life for blessings and prosperity. By renewing your mind with God's promises and embracing resilience, you'll learn how to turn every failure into an opportunity for growth. Join us to explore these powerful strategies and visit christianbusinessconcepts.com for more resources to enrich your journey.
Welcome to the Christian Business Concepts with your host, harold Milby. Christian Business Concepts is dedicated to guiding companies and business owners in becoming effective, efficient and successful through God's Word and godly principles. Now, here's your host, harold Milby.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks, kelly, and welcome everybody to this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. You know I'm your host, harold Milby, and I'm so very glad that you've decided to be a part of our family today. You know I'm excited to be with you today and I'm both excited and humbled to share with you today. And thank you for downloading this week's podcast. You know CBC is here to help leaders and business owners and managers find true. What I consider to be true godly success through biblical principles, because that's the only way I think that you can be truly successful in your life is to follow God's path, to follow His Word Word, because the Word of God is just completely chocked full of principles to help us to be successful in each and every area of our life. And I hope today's podcast will encourage you and enlighten you and empower you. And I'm just going to ask if you would to just be sure to share this podcast with four or five other people. You know, please post this podcast on your Facebook and your LinkedIn pages. We need your help to help us grow CBC and in reaching one million business owners and leaders around the world. Now, before we get into today's subject, let me just give a big shout out to Orlando, florida, for downloading so many episodes in the last week. Hey, keep it up, orlando. And thanks to all of you who've downloaded podcasts from CBC. We just greatly appreciate it, very humbled by it. And thank you to those of you all over the world who are supporting what we're trying to do here at Christian Business Concepts Today, as we look at Christian business leaders, we're called to walk in faith and trust in God's plan for our lives and our businesses.
Speaker 2:Lives and our businesses. And as business leaders, you know, we often face setbacks, we often face failures that can hinder our progress and our impact on other people, and even an impact on our confidence as well. And, though that may be the case, it can be easy to get caught up in these past failures and mistakes, and that's going to hinder our ability to move forward and fulfill our potential. So today I want to explore some strategies and techniques for leaving past failures in the past and let's move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and determination, with confidence and with purpose. You know, I know there's lots of leaders that are out there and, though you don't share it publicly or you don't share it with anybody, but you know when you're alone and you're quiet. You really are struggling with past failures and I can tell you from my own experience. Back 25 years ago, I had a huge failure in my life and, honestly, it took me a while to work through that. Honestly, it took me a while to work through that and I just am here in this particular subject. It's kind of a sensitive topic for me because of how hard I had to work to overcome that failure. But now I want you to keep in mind that failure does not have to define you. Let me say that again. Failure does not have to define you. Let me say that again Failure does not have to define you.
Speaker 2:When I think of failure, the first person I think of is Colonel Harlan Sanders, who started and founded Kentucky Fried Chicken. Now he was 65 years old when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken, but that was after he had several businesses fail. He had filed bankruptcies more than once and so he had failed, but he never let that stop him and he became very successful even at that age of 65. Now JK Rawling, who is the woman who authored Harry Potter, all the books of Harry Potter and then the movies. She was rejected by multiple publishers and she had to fight poverty, she had to fight depression. She felt like a failure, but she knew that she was not a failure even though she failed. And that's what I want you to hear today, if nothing else realize that just because you fail doesn't make you a failure. You know Elon Musk. You know he faced multiple failures early in his career, including bankruptcy of his first business I think it was called Zip2. That was his first business, and SpaceX, which is very profitable today, was a near failure early on in its early days and he almost closed the doors of SpaceX. So these are people who had failure in their lives, but they realized they're not a failure.
Speaker 2:So here are some of the negative effects that really come with not dealing with your failures and then leaving them in the past. So, first of all, there's stagnation. You know, dwelling on past failures can prevent individuals and you and me, from moving forward and making success in their personal and their professional lives, and it can lead to a sense of being stuck. You know you get stuck in the past and I can say that from my own experience and you're unable to grow, you're unable to develop. But remember what Proverbs 24, 16 says. It says. For, though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. But the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. You know, the righteous may experience failure, but they get up again. You know, however, those who dwell on past failures and don't move forward, they stumble when they're faced with challenges and calamities because they're stuck in that failure.
Speaker 2:Another negative effect is lack of confidence. You know, when you hold on to past failures, it kind of begins to erode your self-confidence, your self-esteem of begins to erode your self-confidence, your self-esteem. It may create a lot of doubt and a lot of fear of taking risks or trying new things, which can really hinder your personal and professional growth. Philippians 3, 13 and 14 says, brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining toward, so dwelling on past failures can hinder our ability to go forward and towards our goals and our vision that God's put in our hearts, and so we want to make sure that you realize that that comes from not leaving failures in the past. Another is increased stress, even anxiety, I mean. When you constantly are replaying past failures in your mind, it can lead to a lot of increased stress. So you don't want that negative cycle of worry and it just impacts your mental health and overall well-being.
Speaker 2:Another is missed opportunities. You know when you focus on past failures you sometimes overlook new opportunities, you don't recognize them or maybe you just flat out dismiss them. You see them but you just dismiss them. You know it can prevent you from seizing A lot of these potential chances For growth and success and fulfillment. Isaiah 43, 18 and 19 says Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. So again, you may miss opportunities because you're focused on the past. That's what he says here in Isaiah. He says don't dwell on the past, see, see, open with your eyes, look and see these opportunities. And you know, I believe God calls us to forget the past, focus on the new things he's doing in our lives. You know, holding on to past failures it just prevents us from seeing and experiencing really the new blessings and opportunities God has for us All. Right.
Speaker 2:Next is damaged relationships. You know the negative emotions associated with past failures, like guilt and shame, resentment, and those things can just spill over into your personal relationships and your professional relationships and interactions. It can strain relationships and really it kind of hinders a lot of effective communication. Well, what's Hebrews 12 and 15 says? It says see to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. And again that's what happens if you hold on to failures. Holding on to those past failures and harboring bitterness just leads to trouble. It leads to defilement in our lives and even in our relationships. I've seen husbands and wives divorce over it because it becomes such a bitter root in their life. Another is it impacts your decision-making. When you hold on to failures it can cloud your judgment and it influences your decision-making. It may cause people to make choices based on fear instead of based on other positive things. So you want to be able to look objectively and assess things when it comes to your present circumstances and you can't do that if your judgment is clouded and your decision making has been influenced by these past failures.
Speaker 2:Another is loss of motivation. You know, when you revisit past failures all the time, it just takes and zaps your motivation and your enthusiasm. It just creates this sense of defeat and resignation. Like you know, that's just the way it's always going to be I'm always going to be a failure, and it makes it really difficult to really muster the energy and the drive that you need to pursue new goals and aspirations. You know, again, philippians 3, 13 through 14, we just read it. But he says I forget those things that are behind, I strain toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. So again, he's forgetting those things in the past so he can be motivated to move forward.
Speaker 2:And then there's the inability to learn and grow, because failure is a natural part of the learning process and you know, if you don't leave failures in the past, then you miss out a lot of times on valuable lessons and opportunities. It's essential to learn from mistakes and use them as stepping stones towards really your future, your future success. You know, in Luke, chapter 9, verse 62, jesus replied and he said no one puts a hand to the plow and looks back that is fit for the service in the kingdom of God. So looking back at past failures and not moving forward can hinder our ability to serve God effectively and really to fulfill the purpose in his kingdom for our lives. So what are some action steps that we can take to overcome these past failures? How do we keep them in the past? What do we do?
Speaker 2:Well, step one is you want to acknowledge and then reflect. You want to learn from these past failures. So first of all, you have to accept the fact that you failed. You have to acknowledge that fact. You know you leave your past failures behind. When you begin to acknowledge and accept it, that's how it starts. It's important that you recognize that everybody makes mistakes, that failure is really a natural part of the learning process, and when you acknowledge your past failures, you learn these valuable lessons and insights, and that helps us to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. So you need to take the time to honestly assess what went wrong, why it happened, what you can learn from that experience. You know, reflecting on past failures can really give you a lot of good insights and it can help you to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. You know Bill Gates said one time it's fine to celebrate success, but it's more important to heed the lessons of failure, and I think somebody like Bill Gates is somebody we could listen to. So, again, acknowledge and reflect and learn from past failures.
Speaker 2:Step number two you need to seek forgiveness. You know, as Christians, we're called to forgive others, as we have been forgiven by God. This includes now watch this. This includes forgiving ourselves from past mistakes and failures. You know, if you're holding on to guilt and shame, it's only going to weigh you down, it's going to hinder your ability to move forward. And when you begin to seek forgiveness, even for yourself, from these failures, you release this burden of the past and you embrace kind of a new beginning. In Ephesians 4, verse 32, it says be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other. Just as Christ forgave you, now this includes you. So you've got to let it go. You've got to forgive yourself and I'll be honest with you this failure that I had back close to 25 years ago. Quite honestly, I struggled for years to forgive myself. Now I was able to paint over it and to grow flowers around it, but deep down, I was still struggling with forgiving myself and I had a lot of bitterness towards myself, a lot of anger towards myself. And so you've got to seek forgiveness for yourself so that you can let this thing go and move on and put it in the past.
Speaker 2:All right, step three you need to practice self-compassion and grace. It kind of goes with step two, but you know, as Christian leaders, it's essential to practice this self-compassion and really to extend grace to yourself. As we kind of, you know, navigate through these past failures. You know you got to remember that we're all imperfect beings and mistakes are a part of our human experience. So you got to treat yourself with kindness, treat yourself with forgiveness and understanding, just as God does, and by showing yourself grace and compassion, see, you can cultivate a good, positive sense of self-worth that will empower you to move forward with confidence. Romans 8 and 1 says, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. There's no condemnation. There's no reason to condemn yourself. Move on from that past failure.
Speaker 2:Step number four you got to accept it and let it go. It's important to accept that failure as being a natural part of any kind of entrepreneurial journey or even in your personal life. So, instead of dwelling on past mistakes, you got to let it go. Let go of those negative emotions like guilt and shame and regret. Just let them. Go, embrace this mindset of forgiveness towards yourself and others involved and release the burden of the past. You've got to make room for new opportunities and new growth and you can't do that until you accept it and let it go. You know, les Brown one time said forgive yourself first. Release the need to replay a negative situation over and over again in your mind. Don't become a hostage to your past by always reviewing and reliving your mistakes. Don't remind yourself of what should have, could have or would have been. Release it and let it go, move on. And that's what I'm saying today.
Speaker 2:Step number five you've got to renew your mind and focus on God's promises. You know, in order to really leave past failures in the past, it's important to renew your mind and focus on the promises of God. You know, the Bible tells us that God has plans to prosper us and to not harm us, to give us hope and a future. That's what it says in Jeremiah 29 and 11. And when you meditate on God's promises just like Jeremiah 29 and 11, if you focus on that and just kind of meditate on that, it shows that you're trusting his plan for your life. And you know, when we do that, we have peace, we have reassurance in knowing that God is in control. You know Ephesians 4 and 22 through 24, it says To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God and true righteousness and holiness. But he says be renewed in the spirit of your minds. It's the mind, it's our mind that traps us. It's our mind that keeps us hindered, it's our mind that keeps us in kind of a prison. And we have to renew our minds, renew our mind, and you do that through the reading of God's Word, through meditating upon God's Word, thanking God for His Word and believing God's Word. That's how you renew your mind.
Speaker 2:All right, step number six You've got to embrace a growth mindset. You have to embrace that. You've got to adopt this growth mindset that views failures as just opportunities for learning and growth. You know, instead of seeing failures and setbacks as a roadblock, you know you've got to see them as a stepping stone towards your success. And you've got to cultivate that. It doesn't happen automatically. You need to cultivate this mindset of resilience and adaptability and continual improvement, and you've got to be open to new ideas and new perspectives that can really move you forward in your business and in your personal life. And then be sure that you practice positive self-talk. And then be sure that you practice positive self-talk, you know, focus on solutions rather than problems and embrace a never-give-up kind of an attitude when you go through these failures, you know, and when you develop this resilient mindset, you can bounce back stronger than you ever were from these failures and you can continue to move forward, to progress towards your goals that you have. So just remember you can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last chapter. So it's important that you have this growth mindset. Move forward.
Speaker 2:Step number seven focus on the present and the future, not the past. Once you've acknowledged and let go of past failures, now you've got to shift your focus to right now, to the present, and then to the future. You've got to set goals and set objectives for your business, for your personal life. You've got to develop a strategic plan to make these things happen that you have goals for and that God has given you a vision for, and by concentrating on what you can control in the present moment and as you begin to envision a successful future, see, I believe. Then I think you can redirect your energies towards this. You know doing a lot more positive things, positive actions. I think you can focus on those things, you know. Keep in mind again Philippians 3, 13 through 14, this is the third time Paul says I do not consider that I have made it myself, but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So again, focus on the present and the future and not on the past. Okay, number eight, step number eight.
Speaker 2:Set goals and then take actions. You know, once you've acknowledged your past failures, you've sought forgiveness, you've renewed your mind, you've got to begin to set new goals, take actions towards achieving them. You set these clear and achievable goals and then we can focus all of our energies, all of our efforts, on moving towards those things, towards a successful future for ourselves personally and even for our businesses. It's important to stay focused on the present moment, not dwell on the past mistakes, as this is only going to hold us back, and that's what Philippians 3, 13 through 14 is really saying. You know Tony Robbins, that great motivational speaker. He said setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. You know, when you have a vision that God's given you, just because that you've made a mistake doesn't mean that God's changed the vision or taken it from you. But you've got to set goals and then you will get to what God has showed you. You'll get to that place that you envision. You'll get there, but at first it takes you setting these goals. All right.
Speaker 2:Number nine surround yourself with a very supportive group or community. You know, as Christian business leaders, it's really important to surround ourselves with a supportive group of people that are like-minded individuals who can encourage us and uplift us when we're struggling. And by building these strong relationships with other believers, I believe that we can find strength and encouragement Even when we're going through some of the toughest times in our lives. Encouragement, even when we're going through some of the toughest times in our lives, we can continue to grow and thrive in our businesses and our personal life. So don't be afraid to seek support from people like well, maybe you've got a mentor and you can seek their support, maybe some people that are on the same level of leadership that you are, or business coaches. They're great to provide good guidance and encouragement. So surround yourself with a really supportive network of individuals who believe in your potential, that can hold you accountable, making sure that you're achieving your goals and you're doing the actions and following your strategic plan. And when you're engaging with a supportive community like that, it helps you to stay motivated. It helps you to stay inspired during those tough times.
Speaker 2:Proverbs 18, 24 says one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin. But there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and of course that's Jesus Christ. But one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin. It's important that we surround ourselves with positive people that can help us. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon he credits really the company's success. He says to the people and team he surrounded himself with so very, very important.
Speaker 2:And then, lastly, step 10, you got to practice self-care and you got to maintain balance. You know we live in a really fast-paced world, especially in business, and it's really easy to neglect our physical being. It's easy to get out of balance between work and life. But taking care of your physical body, your mental, your mental, your mental, your mental, your old mentality, your mental being I guess we could say it that way your mind and then your emotions. Make sure that they are in good shape and that you're protecting them from these past failures by moving past them and leaving them in the past. And you know, moving past them and leaving them in the past. Prioritize that. That's got to be important. Prioritize things like exercising and meditation or praying, meditating upon God's word, and then relaxation. Have some time to relax, have some time to decompress, have downtime and make time for these activities so that you can bring yourself joy and fulfillment outside of work and your business. So by maintaining a healthy work-life balance and practicing self-care, I believe you can recharge your energy, recharge your focus and it enables you to tackle those challenges with renewed resilience and renewed strength.
Speaker 2:You know John Wooden said one time great basketball coach. He said next to love, balance is the most important thing. You know, a good example of that is found in Luke and Mary and Martha were sisters who welcomed Jesus into their home. Now, while Martha was busy preparing a lot of things, mary sought to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his teaching. And Jesus said Mary chose. The better part is what the Bible says, and it really kind of highlights the importance of balancing our duties and our work with spiritual nourishment and spending time in God's presence. And so you know again, practice self-care, take care of your body and retain and have that and retain and have that balance that you need to have.
Speaker 2:You know, when you leave past failures in the past, it's going to require a real combination of a lot of these things. Self-reflection is going to require faith. You're going to have to make intentional actions. You're going to have to do intentional things as Christian business leaders and by practicing things like self-compassion and then engaging in prayer and meditation and staying rooted in your faith, learning from your mistakes and having this great mindset, I believe that you can overcome your past setbacks, your past failures, and you're going to be able to embrace a future that's filled with growth and success and purpose. You know trust in God's plan for your life and in your business and you walk forward in faith, knowing that he's leading you towards a prosperous and a fulfilling journey into the future. So embrace the lessons that we talked about today from past failures and allow them to kind of help shape you into a stronger person, a wiser person and a more resilient leader in your business and in your personal life.
Speaker 2:You know, lord, we come before you right now and we thank you for helping us keep our failures and our mistakes where they belong, and that's in the past. Lord, we thank you for not allowing those failures to define who we are. And, lord, I ask you to please, lord, help those who are struggling right now with failures in their life. Lord, help them to overcome it. Help them to use these principles to move past those failures. Lord, even Lord, if nobody else knows about those failures, lord, let them know that they are not a failure just because they failed. And, lord, I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen. Well, thanks again for listening to this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast, and we appreciate that. Again, reach out, share it with other people. That's all the time we have for today, but always remember this, and that is Jesus is Lord and he wants you blessed.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning into this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. Go to christianbusinessconceptscom for more information and resources. Be sure to check out other podcasts that will help you take your business and your personal life to a whole new level of success.