In 2015, I was called into our head office, and the executive director said to me, “Resign or you'll be fired." That was my reward after working for the same organization for 14 years. I do not consider being fired to be my biggest mistake, though.My biggest mistake was not protecting the team that I was managing. I managed four alcohol and drug programs with eight staff. After I very easily gave up this management position, I reflected on the team. I felt terrible because I was no longer there to protect them from various negative, influential individuals. As a bit of a consequence, most of the people I was managing are no longer working for this organization. One year prior to this event, one of the team members mentioned to us that he saw us becoming a “juggernaut” in the industry. Quite a bold statement. I learned quite a bit from this experience.I learned that I need to spend more time explaining what I have learned about myself than the actual experience. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, identify the reasons behind the incident and emphasize what we have learned and what we can now do differently. Examine the actions we’ve taken to ensure that we don’t make the same mistake.Once you have detailed your ‘failure,’ you can turn to talk about how what you learned from that incident has led to you being more successful in another situation and then talk about that. It eventually becomes part of your testimonial. A testimonial that will one day help another person stay active in their “Recovery Warrior” journey, whether you know it or not.

My biggest mistake was not protecting my team, and I learned to focus on self-improvement rather than the incident, identifying reasons and emphasizing learning.

My biggest failure and what it taught me about success

Read the latest stories, insights, and resources on Indigenous recovery and 60s Scoop experiences. JD Associates’ blog shares personal journeys, healing tips, and cultural reconnection.

Blog | Indigenous Recovery Stories & 60s Scoop Insights | JD Associates

Explore our blog for Indigenous recovery stories, insights from the 60s Scoop survivor, and resources. JD Associates shares personal journeys, community news, and healing tools.

My biggest failure and what it taught me about success

My biggest failure and what it taught me about success

Related Posts

Get out of Jail Free Card

Combat poverty

5 Tricks I use to get into my Passion Zone!

Canadian Native Fastpitch Championship

Always give more than you receive!