Have I truly failed if I've grown?
A good start to the weekend. I did a podcast interview today which lasted close to an hour and a half. It was enlightening and refreshing.
If you really want something bad enough you have to keep going for it. It’s easy to procrastinate and easy to make excuses of why something hasn’t work or can’t work. The most valuable thing we posses in this world is time. It’s limited and can’t ever be bought back regardless of how much money is made or raised.
We’re often so afraid to take on risk or do something we’re uncomfortable with because of fear. So we react with negativity rather than a way to grow. We might even ignore the signs so we don’t have to deal with it. Nothing in this world is guaranteed but the one thing we can control is our effort to achieve results.
If we truly want something we go for it. No one is going to stop us until we’ve decided for ourselves that the effort isn’t worth the potential reward. That’s not giving up. That’s a decision based on personal growth and experiences.
If we truly don’t want something we make up excuses as to why our life is different and situation more difficult. The success of another is purely based on luck. This self destructive thought keeps us from achieving and growing.
If you want something done you have to go after it. Along the way you might be lucky to find a person or more that share your values and propel you to move forward faster. It’s never guaranteed they’ll stick with you to the end either.
I finished the podcast by restating a question I get asked once in awhile, “so what happens if you fail?” I actually don’t even think of failure as an endpoint.
My answer to that question has always been, “I’ll be okay.”
I’m vastly more knowledgeable now and have attained more skills useful for the future. Have I really failed if I’ve grown in skills, network and as a person? Even if Phroogal were to somehow not manifest as I envisioned I come out of it a stronger being.
I’ll keep everyone up to date when the podcast airs in the next month or so.
Additional Interviews on Mint.com > Expert Interview on Financial Success and Talking About Money with Jason Vitug for Mint
Failure is a tough topic for many people. Especially in the US, you simply aren’t supposed to fail, ever. It’s a ridiculous expectation and stifles innovation and entrepreneurship. If you can overcome the general public sentiment towards failure you can become very dangerous – in a good way! With less people taking risks, taking a risk yourself is more likely to pay off.
I completely agree DC. Life is about experiences.