“If your dreams don’t scare you, then they may be too small.” We all have goals that we want to reach, whether it’s to run a marathon, lose those pesky 5 pounds, or climb the next rung on our career ladder. However, failure can make those dreams feel like a very distant reality. It’s so easy to become discouraged and let our failures dictate our path. Sometimes all it takes is the fear of failure itself to stop us from attempting to reach our dreams. Maybe you tell yourself that you’re just not cut out to be a runner or be a manager within your company. Somehow the person next to you who has achieved these elusive goals just has something you don’t.

If you think like that, you’re not alone, and what’s worse, you’re right! That person next to you has learned to do something vital—namely, they have learned to stop letting their failures dictate their future. Everyone fails at some point. Failure isn’t a sign of weakness or that you aren’t cut out for something. Instead, it is a sign that you are trying the right things. You are challenging yourself to accomplish more than you thought you could.

Failure is an unavoidable part of life, but instead of looking at it as something to suffer through until you are back on an up-swing, think of it as an essential part of growth. Failure is simply a sign that you have more growing to do, and that is an exciting prospect! If you’re not failing, then you’re not succeeding. Very often, our biggest accomplishments come right after a huge failure or setback. Remember this the next time you find yourself in the midst of a major setback.

I am here to encourage you to embrace your failures, learn from your mistakes and come back fighting even harder to reach your goals. If you are breezing through the goals that you have set for yourself, challenge yourself to reach even higher. No dream is too big. If you learn to push past the fear of failure, you will see yourself soar higher than you ever thought possible. Your dreams will probably be terrifying at times, but no feat is ever too small. At Planet Beach, we aim to provide the support you need to keep reaching for the stars and achieving your dreams.