The Resilient Mind - Fall Forward: Discipline, Faith, and the Courage to Fail Big - Denzel Washington

Episode Date: January 16, 2026

Denzel Washington is a renowned American actor, director, and producer, celebrated for his powerful performances and significant contributions to the film industry. His illustrious career is highlighted by multiple Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for "Glory" and Best Actor for "Training Day." Beyond his cinematic achievements, Washington is also known for his philanthropy and advocacy for the arts, inspiring a new generation of performers and filmmakers.Take action and strengthen your mind with The Resilient Mind Journal. Get your free digital copy today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Download Now⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Resilient Mind podcast. In this episode, you will be listening to Fall Forward with Denzel Washington. Get access to the Resilient Mind Journal by clicking the link in the show notes. Enjoy. Without commitment, you'll never start, but more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish. It's not easy. If it was easy, there'd be no Kerry Washington.

If it was easy, there'd be no to Raji Henson, P. Henson. If it were easy, there'd be no Octavia Spencer. But not only that, if it were easy, there'd be no Viola Davis. If it were easy, there'd be no Michael T. Williamson, no Stephen McKinley Henderson, no Russell Hornsby. If it were easy, there'd be no Denzel Washington. So keep working, keep striving, never give up, fall down seven times, get up eight. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.

So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning, see ya at work. And anything you want good, you can have. So claim it. Work hard to get it. When you get it, reach back. Pull someone else up. Each one, teach one. Don't just aspire to make a living.

Aspire to make a difference. Number one, put God first. Put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me, everything that I've accomplished, everything that you think I have, and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It's a gift in everything you do.

If you think you want to do what you think I've done, then do what I've done. And let me tell you, the world needs your talents. And does it ever? The world needs a lot, and we need it from you. We really do. We need it from you young people. I mean, I'm not speaking for the rest of us up here, but I know I'm getting a little grayer. We need it from you, the young people, because remember this. So you got to get out there. You got to give it everything you got, whether it's your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures. Because remember this, you will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. I'll say it again. You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. You can't take it with you.

The Egyptians tried it. And all they got was robbed. So the question is, what are you going to do with what you have? I'm not talking about how much you have. Some of you are business majors. Some of you are theologians, nurses, sociologists. Some of you have money. Some of you have patience.

Some of you have kindness. Some of you have love. Some of you have the gift of long suffering, whatever it is, whatever your gift is, what are you going to do with what you have? Fail big. That's right. Fail big. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it can be very frightening. It's a new world out there.

It's a mean world out there, and you only live once. So do what you feel passionate about, passionate about. take chances professionally. Don't be afraid to fail. There's an old IQ test was nine dots and you had to

draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil. The only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don't be afraid to go outside the box. Don't be afraid to

think outside the box. Don't be afraid to fail big to dream big but remember dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment so have dreams but have goals life goals yearly goals monthly goals daily goals I try to give myself a goal every day. Sometimes it's just to not curse somebody out. Simple goals, but have goals. And understand that to achieve these goals, you must apply discipline and consistency. In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you were already done, and consistency every day, not just on Tuesday and miss a few days.

You have to work at it. Every day. You have to plan. Every day. You've heard the saying we don't plan to fail. We fail to plan. Hard work works. Working really hard is what successful people do.

And in this text, tweet, twerk world that you've grown up in, Remember, just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Remember that. Just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Don't confuse movement with progress. My mother told me, she said, yeah, because you can run in place all the time and never get anywhere. So continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress. I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.

Nothing. Nelson Mandela said, there is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that's less than the one you're capable of living. Now, I'm sure in your experiences in school and applying to college and picking your major, in deciding what you want to do with life. I'm sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on. Make sure you got something to fall back on, honey. But I never understood that concept, having something to fall back on. If I'm going to fall, I don't want to fall back on anything except my faith.

I want to fall forward. I figure at least this way I'll see what I'm going to hit. Fall forward. This is what I mean. Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs. Fall forward.

Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know that. Because the 1,000 was the light ball. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. You've got to take risks, and I'm sure you've probably heard that before, but I want to talk to you about why that's so important.

I got three reasons, and then you can pick up your iPhones. First, you will fail at some point in your life, accept it. You will lose. You will embarrass yourself. You will suck at something. There's no doubt about it. I'm telling you, embrace it, because it's inevitable. And I should know.

In the acting business, you fail all the time. Early on in my career, I auditioned for a part in the Broadway musical. Perfect role for me, I thought, except for the fact that I can't sing. I didn't get the job. But here's the thing. I didn't quit. I didn't fall back. I walked out of there to prepare for the next audition and the next audition and the next audition.

I prayed. I prayed and I prayed. But I continue to fail and fail. But it didn't matter because you know what? There's an old saying you hang around the barbershop long enough sooner or later you're going to get a haircut. So you will catch a break and I did catch a break. Last year, I did a play called Fences on Broadway. Someone talked about it. Won the Tony Award. And I didn't have to sing, by the way. But here's the kicker.

It was at the court theater. It was at the same theater that I failed that first audition 30 years prior. The point is, and I'll pick up the pace, The point is, every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed. But do you have the guts to fail? Here's my second point about failure. If you don't fail, you're not even trying. I'll say it again.

If you don't fail, you're not even trying. My wife told me this great expression. To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. Les Brown's a motivational speaker. You made an analogy about this. He says, imagine you're on your deathbed, and standing around your deathbed are the ghosts representing your unfulfilled potential. The ghost of the ideas you never acted on. The ghost of the talents you didn't use.

And they're standing around your bed, angry, disappointed, and upset. They say, we came to you because you could have brought us to life, they say. And now we have to go to the grave together. So I ask you today, how many ghosts are going to be? to be around your bed when your time comes. Not only take risks, but to be open to life, to accept new views, and to be open to new opinions, to be willing to speak at a commencement at one of the best universities in the country, even though you're scared stiff.

While it may be frightening, it will also be rewarding. Because the chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith, that you have, that's what's going to define you. Never be discouraged, never hold back, give everything you got, and when you fall throughout life and remember this, fall forward. Say thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, Thank you for parents. Thank you for love. Thank you for kindness.

Thank you for humility. Thank you for peace. Thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what's already yours. Shall I live my life? That's why I am, one of the reasons why I am today. Say thank you in advance for what is already yours. True desire in the heart for anything

good is God's proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it's yours already. I'll say it again. True desire in the heart, that itch that you have, whatever it is you want to do, that thing that you want to do to help others and to grow and to make money, that desire, that it's, that's God's proof to you sent beforehand already to indicate that it's yours. and anything you want good you can have. So claim it. Work hard to get it. Don't just aspire to make a living.

Aspire to make a difference. Thank you for listening. Continue strengthening your mind by subscribing and listening to our other episodes.