Life is a tumultuous journey. We all have moments of deep regret, frustration and tragedy coupled with instances of intense excitement and joy. It’s a beautiful thing- life gives us both lemons and lemonade and we never truly know when we’ll get either.

After teaching for over a decade I’ve learned that trying to fight moments of failure is a lost cause. There are days where I feel inarticulate or helpless. Days when a client who is suffering personally or physically needs support and I may not be able to support or comfort them the way I want to. I’ve lost battles and jobs. My heart has been broken.

At the same time, I’ve been blessed with moments of incredible success. We all have. One of my mantras in 7 Workouts For 7 Moods is, “Don’t Magnify Success Or Failure.” We experience both and we should celebrate and understand both. But the question is HOW?

The first step is re-thinking what failure and success truly mean. One doesn’t exclude the other. In fact, it’s important for us to see failure as a stepping-stone for success and success as an often-fleeting moment that can have the power to allow us to give back.

We can’t have moments of pure happiness without understanding what it feels like to be sad. We would never know how to learn from our mistakes if we didn’t explore and understand what it feels like to be grounded and joyful.

So the next time you find yourself gloomy over a bad grade in school, a frustrating friendship or a missed opportunity, remember that life will always throw good your way if you allow it to. See your “failure” as an opportunity to learn and grow. Then move on. Re-build and re-route your goals. If you are lucky enough to be showered with what others may see as success, pay it forward! Use your newfound happiness to support the people you love. Be a friend, mentor and confidant. Give, give give.

If we all learned to find humility in success and growth in failure think about the harmony that could happen in life!