Before we start, I will say I’m not talking about saying “no”…as you know, faithful readers, my default answer is “yes”. I’ve been thinking about failure. Honestly, I’ve not failed that much…professionally. Personally, well, there you go. But yes, I have failed. We all have.
There is an attitude out there, and while many people, myself included at times, blame the Gen Ys and Millenials for it, I remember hearing it as a child… but not from my mother (thank God). It’s the idea that you can do anything. And while when I heard it first, it was tied to “if you work hard enough”, lately (and for this I do blame parents of people of a certain age), it is simply stated as a fact.
Well, you know what? Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, will fail at some point. And there will be things you cannot do. Now, I’d never say don’t try, but c’mon, do you really think everyone can be an Olympic athlete? A brilliant, innovative scientist? The author of a novel that is both a bestseller and critically acclaimed? Win a Tony? Or more basically, never fail?
I had a conversation with a friend recently about goals. And mine have changed. I now acknowledge there are those things that while, maybe I COULD do them, I could not do them to a standard of excellence. So, at least professionally, I choose to go down a path that I hope leads to excellence. I do still try and fail, though. As I learned in my Bikram classes, “it’s a practice, not a perfect”.
So, no, I can’t. And yes, I will try. But if I fail, I know that’s just fine. It’s OK.
Next!
Travels With Slippers 