You will fall. It’s what you do when you rise that shapes your story. — Safiyyah
What a Brief Illness Taught Me About Powerlessness and Perspective
This past week, life slowed me down in the most unexpected and humbling way.
From delivering empowering work in boardrooms to being powerless in a hospital bed, I found myself stripped of certainty and control.
My body refused to obey.
Even gravity abandoned me.
I had no say in what came next, no roadmap, and no answers.
But I was held.
By nurses. By strangers. By my partner, Ghaalieb—who, in that moment, became the very definition of home.
And in that unravelling, I remembered:
This is what growth from the heart feels like.
Messy. Uncertain. Unmapped. And utterly human.
Failure Isn’t Final — It’s Formative
We’ve been taught to fear failure.
To treat it like a verdict. A scarlet letter. A confirmation of our deepest fears: I’m not enough.
But what if failure is just feedback?
What if it’s not the end of the story, but the middle of a very human chapter?
“There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” — Brené Brown
Failure is data. It tells you something didn’t work.
It invites refinement—not retreat.
Learning to Love Failure (Yes, Love It)
This doesn’t mean we enjoy the sting of disappointment.
But when we stop personalising failure, we can start loving what it leads to.
Every stumble teaches us something essential about:
- What we value
- Where we’re growing
- What we’re still healing
Learn to make Failure Procedural, and not Biographical.
Failure becomes the sacred companion of courage.
It’s not a sign we’re broken. It’s evidence we’re expanding.
“A lack of failure is a lack of stretching.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
Growth Has No Map—Just a Compass
The kind of growth that matters doesn’t come with instructions.
It’s not a 5-step system.
It’s a wandering. A listening.
A stumbling and rising, stumbling and rising again.
You are not failing.
You are finding your way.
This is the curriculum of a wholehearted life.
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.” — John Dewey
10 Small Shifts for Big Magic
- See “failure” as feedback: information, not identity.
- Use curiosity instead of criticism: What’s this showing me?
- Say “I’m learning,” not “I messed up.”
- Celebrate the courage to try—even if it flops.
- Remember: Success without stumbles isn’t real success.
- Ask: What would I do if I expected to fail along the way?
- Pause and process the disappointment before you pivot.
- Let every “no” make your “yes” more intentional.
- Reflect weekly on what you’ve learned, not just what you’ve done.
- Speak kindly to the version of you that dared to begin.
Reading List
- Mindset – Carol Dweck
- Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown
- The Art of Possibility – Rosamund & Benjamin Zander
Playlist
- Try Everything – Shakira
- Shake It Out – Florence + the Machine
- Rise – Katy Perry
- Worthy – India.Arie
- Freedom – Jon Batiste
Ready for Your Own Alchemy?
Download the Process Your Emotions with RAIN workbook –
Your gentle guide to clarity and self-trust. [Download Now ➔]
🎯 Join my upcoming free masterclass:
Own Your Yes. Trust Your No. Thrive in Your Power.
🗓️ 23 April | [Register Here ➔]
🌟 And if you’re ready to go even deeper…
You Are the Alchemist returns 17 May.
Only 6 seats. A full-day retreat with 2 follow-up online sessions.
For the woman who is ready to meet herself, fully. [Join Here ➔]
Because this life isn’t a test.
It’s a journey of remembering.
And even the missteps are leading you home.