There’s only one way out of a traffic jam on the highway of failure, and that’s to wake up and find the exit. To depart from the lane of perpetual defeats, a person must first utter the four most difficult words to say: “I was wrong.” They must open their eyes, acknowledge their mistakes, and accept full responsibility for their actions and attitudes.

Every failure is a fork in the road. It’s an opportunity to take appropriate action, learn from mistakes, and start over. Peter Drucker, a leadership expert, said:

“The greater a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for he will try to accomplish much. Never will I award a man top marks who has not made mistakes, for his performance will surely be mediocre.”

Mistakes truly pave the way to achievement. Here’s an acronym I’ve created to help keep errors in perspective. Errors are:

Examples that provide feedback on life.

Breaks that push us to reflect.

Springs that propel us toward greater maturity.

Explorations that lead us to uncharted territories.

Tools that enable us to detect opportunities.

Reminders that keep us mentally alert.

Signals that guide us on the right path.

A few years ago, while giving a speech in front of over 50,000 people, I quoted Portia Nelson. The excerpt that was most requested by my listeners afterward is titled “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.” It beautifully describes the process of leaving the highway of failure:

“Chapter 1. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost… I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

“Chapter 2. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place. But it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

“Chapter 3. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in… it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

“Chapter 4. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

“Chapter 5. I walk down another street.”

The only way to leave the highway of failure and discover the new territory of achievement is to take full responsibility for oneself and one’s mistakes. Michael Korda, the editor-in-chief of Simon and Schuster, stated:

“Success in any major endeavor requires that you accept responsibility. Ultimately, the quality shared by all who succeed is the ability to take responsibility.“

This text is an excerpt from the book “Overcome Adversity: How to Use Your Mistakes as a Springboard to Success” written by John C. Maxwell.

We invite you to read the following article “POSITIVE ACTIONS: The Next Step in Your Destiny.”

Overcome Adversity.