The Courage of Failure

As a child you screamed when hurt,
Demanded when desiring,
Showed up dirty and scarred and tattered,
Still expecting the world to give you everything it had.

Sometimes you came up short, missed the mark and fell flat on your face.

But failure was your teacher.

So you dusted yourself off—bruised and bumpy—and kept moving forward.

Somewhere between Oshkosh B’gosh and Oprah,
You started trying to get things ‘right,’ prove yourself ‘worthy,’
Make something of your life.

You stopped trying to grow from your failings and avoided failure altogether.

So, you amassed a slew of knowledge—in the classroom and on the street.

You shined your résumé like the top of the Chrysler Building.

You looked and smelled like a million bucks.

You dazzled folks with your accolades and achievements.

Your reputation preceded you and you loved what it said.

But something still wasn’t right.

You wanted more.

Because beneath the success and celebration and sparkle,
Your life was in a holding pattern of just good enough.

Your job was good but uninteresting.
Your resume was impressive but uninspiring.
Your love life was mediocre at best.
Your friends were tolerable but not enlivening.
Your income was covered the bases but left you nothing to play with.

Everything you did barely scratched the surface of what you actually hungered for.

It’s time to perfect the art of getting what you want.

You covet usefulness, purpose, inspiration.

You yearn to wake up every day, excited about what’s in store.

You desire hot, sexy love that fuels your wide open heart.

You long for adventure and play and unprecedented pleasure.

You hunger for stimulation, not empty conversations that just pass the time.

You crave a bank account that pays your bills and funds new adventures.

So, how do you from move from mediocre to miraculous?

Re-embrace failure.

Celebrate shortcomings.

Experiment, make mistakes, soar, fail, learn, grow, evolve.

You are not here for perfection.

You do not have to get this right.

There is no exit exam.

It is ALL uncertain anyway.

So, ask for the date, the raise, the job you really, really, want.

Entertain the cutie you’ve been fantasizing about for far too long.

Wear the dress, challenge the assumption, rock the boat.

Life is the laboratory that helps you become more and more yourself.

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It is designed to take you to the heart of who you are and what is possible.

Your failures are lessons in ascension.

So, fail faster, better, more often.

Do it now.
Do it imperfectly and messy and raw.

You will survive.
You will transcend.