Your past is your greatest asset.

In the world of recovery, we have a saying. “…the dark past is the greatest possession you have---the key to life and happiness for others.”

If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or leader, your past experience is invaluable not only for others but for yourself.

If you’re paying attention, you’ll learn from the inevitable mistakes that we all make. And not only will your new approach be more informed as a result of your mistakes, you’ll also have the story of your failure, which can benefit others.

No one wants a leader who acts perfect and has never made a mistake. We all want leaders in our lives who model what it looks like to navigate failures and mistakes in a healthy and honest way.

There is a tendency to hide our past mistakes which leaves everyone around us feeling like they’re the only ones that mess up. Owning your past normalizes failure and mistakes which gives others permission to try hard and go big without fear of judgment or retribution.

Your past is your greatest asset. It can travel with you from job to job and relationship to relationship. It continues to grow and become more and more valuable as time goes on. We need to hear it, no matter what it is, so don’t hide it from us.