I want to take a rather bold step of redefining failure. FAILURE—it’s such a negative word and certainly something to be avoided at all costs. Or is it?

Entrepreneurs know that we learn much more from our failures than our successes. Of course you can’t fail all the time but I’m going to propose that you embrace your failures as growing pains. Let’s take it back off the battlefield of defeat or conquer. Failure is important to growing.

Many years ago I was in a meeting with a potential investor for a new publication I wanted to start. While I had successfully run many publications, this would be my first startup. The investor listened to my pitch, looked at all my beautiful materials and delivered the news. I have no doubt that you can run a publication but you’ve never started one, he said. Oh but I know exactly what to do I replied. I have years of experience I pointed out again. His reply left my mind in chaos. Yes, no doubt. But you’ve never failed, he said. What? I thought that was a good thing. His reply clarified, I don’t know that you know how to pick yourself up after a failure.

He knew what I didn’t (at least then), that failure has its own lessons. And those lessons can’t be learned by success.

So instead of pitting failure against success as opposites, let’s embrace them as a team. I was in cohort meeting I was leading last week where someone redefined failure as falling forward. It’s such a perfect image. Yes, I fell but I fell forward.

May you all fall forward. But not too often.