Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?  

Maybe a fireman? A baker? A ballerina? Whether or not you still hold those childhood dreams of twirling about in a pink tutu or rushing off to extinguish a house fire, you probably have some sort of idea what you ultimately want to do with your life. BUT are you actually doing it? Are you working towards it? Or have you given up all hope on your dreams with the burdens of daily life pulling you down?  

There’s not a straight line to success. You’re going to hit bumps in the road that will feel like mountains. But, you can get over them. In fact, making mistakes is necessary to creating a successful company. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not experimenting. You’re not trying new approaches. You’re not going anywhere. They key thing is to make sure that you learn from the mistakes.

We’ve all heard stories about famous figures who have failed numerous times. Abraham Lincoln, for one, failed to win several positions before becoming president of the United States. Another example, Walt Disney, had to close businesses en route to worldwide success.

And, just last year, while most Americans were relaxing on Labor Day, 64-year-old Diana Nyad became the first person to swim the shark-invested waters between Cuba and Key West — some 110 miles —without a cage for protection. She succeeded after her fifth attempt in 35 years but says she learned something new from each of her failed efforts. Can you imagine what it takes to make that physical and mental journey? Failure is a necessary part of the journey, but it’s never the end.