I Dare You to Fail

The graffitied tracks hidden beneath the canopy of trees is an amazing feast for the eyes – a railroad bridge that has welcomed many courageous and somewhat foolish young men, including my own son!  Two arrived to put their testosterone to the test. No sooner had one expertly made it to the middle, 50ft above ground, than the other froze with fear. “I can’t move!” he stammered. He was in panic mode. He crawled on all fours, muttering something about physics and the more space covered by his hands and knees, the better. Did he fail? No! He was alive, he tried, found a solution, swallowed his pride, pivoted and carried on.

Failure is about perspective. “Fear of failure” messes with women’s minds and holds us back from greatness. Fear of failure is foolishness. Failure is code for “pivot and try again, head held high!” Accept failure as necessary, helpful and sometimes even protective.

The greater loss is never failing, never pivoting, never seeing how purposeful shifting is. Failing is required to stretch, grow, change, feel badass and live a full and purposeful life! Failure is part of the “living not surviving” lifestyle. 

Today, I pray you step out, by faith, and try something really hard because you know you want to, you need to. I pray you let go of the fear of failure and embrace pivoting. I pray you find freedom from your fears and face your giants with renewed strength, fervor and determination.

 

Marcy Demelo is an Entrepreneur, Career Coach and Educator, teaching you how to reinvent yourself to live out your passion. Find her on Instagram at waymaker_inc and at www.waymakerinc.ca.