Everybody is a failure. Everybody makes mistakes. Some are big, others small. Failure is just a part of life. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it. My sister told me once “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Basically, failure makes you stronger.

The first time I tried to run a mile I didn’t make it and I could hardly breathe afterwards. I remember gasping for air to fill my lungs. But every time I ran after that I would be able to run longer before I would get to the point where I couldn’t breathe. My failure that first time only made me stronger. Each time I tried my lungs would get stronger and I would be able to last longer. I believe it was my failure that made me stronger.

Helen Keller’s hearing and sight failed on her. But she did not let that hold her back. She became a speaker and author. She became someone many people still look up to today for encouragement.

Whether it is Helen Keller or yourself everyone fails. The point is to take what you can from it, to learn from it, to use it to make you stronger. I used my failure in running to make me stronger, just as Helen Keller used her disabilities for good.