The other day, a friend of mine said we should have a group that helps us celebrate failure. We have all types of ways to celebrate success, but we bury failure.

When she mentioned it, I initially thought it was a good idea. But something didn’t feel right. We kept talking and then I finally figured it out.

The whole concept of failure is what’s wrong. The Oxford dictionary defines failure as a “lack of success.” With that as our definition, we should definitely not celebrate failure. Failure is something to fear and avoid. Everyone wants to succeed.

I’ve had plenty of what some would call failures in my life. Failed business ideas, near bankruptcy, and missed opportunities, along with injuries, diseases, and death in the family. At the time, I too considered these failures.

In all the failures, I had my heart and mind set on one thing, and instead, I got something completely different. That is usually what we call a failure – especially when the result costs us financially.

But now, I look back and see those failures as adjustments and teachable moments. It’s those failures that make me who I am.

One of the things about failure is it implies completeness. It’s like you’re done. The same with success. We all know life is a journey, not a destination. But achieving success or failure implies that the destination is what matters.

As we go along our journeys, there are special moments that are worthy of celebration. There are times when it seems as though we win or lose. But those are just moments.

Instead, maybe we can “Celebrate Significant Moments of Adjustment Along our Journey.” It’s not quite as catchy as “Celebrate Failure,” but something I could certainly support.

When I was growing up, I played little league baseball. Each game was a big deal for my teammates and me. Each at-bat and each play was a test. At the end of the game, when we looked at the score, we knew if we won or lost. If we failed or we succeeded.

Today if I look at little league from my current perspective, while each game no longer has any meaning, I learned many valuable lessons during the journey.

So, who wants to join our Celebrate Significant Moments of Adjustment Along our Journey Club?