Where would you be without your ‘failures’? Where would you be if you had never ‘failed’ at anything?
The only way to avoid ‘failing’ and your fear of ‘failing’ and your fear of the fear is to not try at all.
Wayne Gretzky said, ”You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” How true!
However, the way many of us look at it, and approach living, is, ”By not taking any shot I am guaranteed not to miss.”
Here is a list of things you never would have experienced without ‘failing’:
- Growing
- Walking
- Talking
- Riding a bicycle
- Running
- Feeding yourself
- Dressing yourself
- Tying your shoes
- Brushing your teeth
- Reading
- Writing (anything – a letter, a poem, an essay, a story, a book, the alphabet, etc.)
- Playing a musical instrument
- Singing
- Dancing
- Being a loving friend
- Being a loving parent
- Being a loving son/daughter/sister/brother/family member
- Loving intimacy
- Vulnerability
- Getting a job
- Being an asset as an employee or employer
- Being a business owner
- Playing any sport
- Swimming
- Skiing (water, snow)
- Skating (roller, ice or in-line)
- Martial arts
- Fishing
- Driving a car, motorcycle, or boat
- Being an attentive partner
- Being an attentive lover
- Effective public speaking
- Public speaking – period!
- Cooking
- Doing laundry
- Building a house
- Building anything!
- Being an effective salesperson
- Finishing school (grade school, high school, college, graduate school, completing your doctorate)
- Being an effective leader
- Being an effective follower
- Knitting
- Sewing
- Ironing clothes
- Fulfillment
- Love
- Making love (not sure what ‘failing’ looks like or feels like with this one – but we all have felt like we’ve been there!)
- Arriving at a destination on foot, by car, or by any other means (‘failing’ is getting lost)
- Cooking
- Making smoothies
- Losing weight
- Keeping the weight off
- Getting in shape
- Staying in shape
- Self-expression
- Telling a joke
- Winning at any game (individual or team)
- Managing money well
- Achieving/Fulfilling any dream
- Courage (how can you experience courage without ‘failing’ or without fear?? ‘failing’ and fear are precursors to courage!)
Do you see what I’m getting at? To do ANYTHING in life, TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING IN LIFE, you must first experience your inability to do it. Then, with experience and persistence, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!
Now, notice the first 2 items – ‘Growing’ and ‘Walking’. How can you fail at ‘Growing’ and ‘Walking’??
Let me ask the question this way –
When a child is learning how to walk, do we say the child has ‘failed’ or is ‘failing’ when she stumbles and falls in her early attempts? No way!
As we grow in life, and within ANY context of life and living, and we stumble in our early efforts at growth (otherwise known as ‘achievement’) – why do we call it ‘failing’??? Even worse, why do we call ourselves ‘failures’?????
Because reality arises from language (our word), we must be mindful of what we are saying and what our words mean. Let’s pay careful attention to our words because they create the reality we see.
Now, back to the original purpose of this post – do not fear ‘failing’. ‘Failing’ is the way to success.
‘Failing’ is the most courageous thing you can do!
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This list made me chuckle and gave me some perspective. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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You’re welcome! I can only guess which item(s) on the list made you chuckle! Could it have been the one I wrote while laughing at some hilarious memories!!??
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