Let’s play a game! I am thinking of a four-letter word that begins with “F.” No, not that one! The word I am thinking of is “fail” and its commonly used counterpart “failure.”
What does it mean to fail? We typically think of failure as being unsuccessful in our efforts to be or do something.
In last week’s message, we recalled our first unsuccessful attempts on the bicycle. Mastering the art of riding a bike required that we fail first in order to learn the skills necessary to succeed. Why then is it so challenging to us as adults to risk failure in order to succeed?
Well, you say, that is because the risks are so much greater, so much more is at stake. If I “try” and fail then I could lose my job, my savings, my health and a myriad of other important things. Think back to when you were a kid and learning to ride the bike. Tell me that was not one of the most important undertakings of your young life. Did you care that you failed at first, scraping your knee and wounding your pride? Maybe a little. Yet your determination and desire prevailed and you were back on the bike, attempting, failing, enjoying a little success, failing before “boom” you were out of there.
A key difference between you the kid and you the adult is that you did not “try” to ride a bike. You did ride the bike. Failure, or being unsuccessful, was not an option. Yes, you experienced failure as part of the process – it was necessary to your efforts to be successful. Take “try” out of your adult life and do!