Failing: A True Test of Living
July 2006

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
Robert F. Kennedy

I have failed innumerable times.  More times than I can count, I have wanted to bail on my business because a program flopped, I flopped, or I had the perception that nothing was working.  Inevitably, I will fail again, get discouraged again, or suffer some royal “oops.”  I can pretty much count on it.

How well do you fail?

When faced with potential disaster, fear, insecurity, flagging motivation or failure, how do you react?  Do you yell and scream, passively lie down, fall into despair, or stand up and begin again?  What’s your failure signature?

A friend once said that a true test of someone’s character isn’t when they are succeeding but when they are failing.  It’s then that you really get to see who they are.

Compelling and true.  We’ve all failed and are bound to fail again.  This is part of living to the edge, pushing the envelope to a point it nearly falls off the counter.  How well do you fail?

Being Prepared to Fail

This is not the same thing as expecting to fail.  Undoubtedly, your energy is best focused toward the realization of your desired outcomes.  However, there will be times when you fail.  Are you ready?  Preparation offers you choices in seemingly powerless situations.

What foods energize you?  What environments invigorate you?  Which people best support and encourage you?  What music, exercise, movies, or activities inspire you when you’re flagging?  What is your hope-anchor?

Imagine knowing yourself so well that you begin to shift yourself back into hope and belief, rather than passively waiting for it to happen.  How amazing to know with certainty, that simply by eating specific foods and being in certain environments, you can shake the heavy, hairy, failure-beast off your back?

Delve into your search now.  Play in that which uplifts you.  Literally start recording what stimulates hope, motivation, and belief in your life.  Don’t wait for failure to show up baggage-laden on your doorstep and try to get inspired.  Like a big trip, preparation is vital!

Come Into This Moment

When we suffer, we’re often focused on the past or the future.  Post-failure suffering need not last ages.  By staying with the “what’s true now” of the present moment, the suffering tends to be pure, true, rich and much like a summer storm…moving in with turbulent intensity and energy, then passing soon after.  Don’t dwell in your storm or assign meaning, “Because I failed, it means…”  You are not your failures and it would be a grave error to let them overshadow your gifts. 

When we live in the pain of the past or fear of the future, we keep our failures alive.

And so…

We know we’ll face failure again and we can choose to respond.  Take time to know yourself fully, that you may generate inspiration from within yourself when you blunder famously.  And though you may not understand it at the time, chances are that months or years later, you’ll be able to look back upon your “failure” with gratitude, knowing that it was perfect for your growth and life path.

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