Go Ahead and Fail At That!

What if we decided that failure is okay? That it’s nothing to fear. All of the innovative thinkers across the world will tell you that their success was built on a foundation of failed ideas… all leading to new insights… paving the way for expanded original thought and ultimately success beyond their wildest dreams. Failing at something is always an experience which leads us one step closer to figuring it all out. Fear of failure keeps us small, and “safe”, and “comfortable”… but the magic happens in that expanded state of risk-taking, courage, and adventure. What if we welcomed failure as bringing us one step closer to the manifestation of our dreams?

A few months ago the head of a publishing company asked me to co-write a book. I enthusiastically agreed, and then had a mini melt-down. I’d never done a project of this scope. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I (gasp) failed? And then my highest consciousness kicked in with a simple response.

It said, “So what?”    

How could I argue with that?

I understood that failure speak is only our psyche’s protestations of fear. This was something big and new. Of course I had a right to my fear! So I told myself what I’d tell anyone else. What is failure anyway, but an opportunity for obtaining new experience? Never, through a failure experience, does a person walk away without new tools, new strategies to utilize through their next great attempt. If we had no instinctual tendency to avoid failure, imagine what we’d all grow into! Having no fear of failure is perhaps the greatest indication of success.