Failing Successfully & Happily

Passionate Theme of the Day: Failure

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill

I’m waiting for the refrigerator repair guy to come and diagnose what’s up with the leaky fridge. So I’ve got a block of time I normally wouldn’t. Thought I’d sit down and polish up my essay for the Success and Happiness book that I am contributing to.

Think I’ve mentioned it before. I’ll definitely share more with you in the coming weeks. It’s due out after the first of the year. Some amazing contributors and yours truly was asked to participate. Anyway…the topic of the essay is success and happiness.

Of course I procrastinated on writing this article. I asked myself why. Why didn’t I focus more? Why didn’t I take more time? Why didn’t I have this baby buffed and shined and sent off to the publishers already? Then I read this quote and it hit me…the “F” word. Yep. FAILURE. (Cue thunder crashing and dramatic music).

I realized that I’m afraid my little essay won’t compare to the amazing works the other authors are submitting. I’ve automatically gone to that place in my head where “everybody else’s will be better than mine”. Which brings me where? To a place of comparing me vs. them.

I don’t need to do that, do I? I can stop comparing myself to them because, I’m NOT them. I’m me. And my words will sound like me. At this moment in time. From the perspective I have on life right now. I don’t need to sound like anyone else. Just me.

Failure is a funny thing. I remember having a conversation with Andrea Lee at the ICF conference a few weeks back. I was voicing my concern over which direction to head next with my business…so many options and all that.

Her advice to me? Try as many ideas as I want and, “Fail fast.” I like that motto. At first I was a little put off by it. You know, “I don’t want to fail at all”, ranting in my head. But then I got it. Not ALL ideas are gonna be home runs. Some won’t even make it past the pitcher. But if you don’t put it out there, you’ll never know. So I’m encouraged to put this essay out there. While I’m looking for a homerun, I’m happy just swinging the bat!

What scares you about failure vs. success? What do you do when you find yourself procrastinating on a big project or worse, standing still? How do you get moving forward and how to you zap the F-monster when it rears its ugly head?

Happily yours in failing successfully,
Kamsmile

November 27, 2006 at 9:48 AM

Kam, I saw you post in my Google feedreader this morning.

What scares(ed) me about failure? That failing would validate the perception I had of me that I was a loser. It would prove to me that what I thought other people were thinking about me was accurate.

THAT belief has lost its power over me. It is taking some intense self-discovery sessions and some hard work, but it’s receding back under the rock from whence it sprung (sprang? springed?)

Anyway, thanks for writing your post. It’s encouraging--it shows that I’m not the only one that has to deal with thoughts like this. That everybody ISN’T as perfect as I think they are when I’m making the mistake of comparing me to someone else.

Thanks again for taking the time to write...and I’m sure your contribution will be fantastic. You speak from your heart, and that’s the most important place to be, I am finding.

Posted by Steve Johnson  on  11/27  at  11:37 AM

Hey Steve~

Thank YOU for your comment. It is still spooky for me to show vulnerabilty on my blog (an emotional muscle I am working on stretching), so it’s good to know that I’m reaching people by sharing my scary stuff too!!

I agree, it’s the comparison thing that gets us isn’t it? Why should my piece be any less than or more than someone elses? It’s just going to be different than...ahhhh, the lightbulbs just keep flashing!!

Thanks for swinging by and stay passionate,
Kamsmile

Posted by Kam  on  11/27  at  02:08 PM

Just surfed in from MyBlogLog. I am very much inspired by your blog! A Very Good Job and an Example to remember!

Posted by Huub Koch  on  11/29  at  01:20 PM

Huub~

Thanks for the kudos and thanks for stopping by!!

Please feel free to kick your shoes off, grab a seat and hang awile...you’re always welcome at the PMP blogsmile

Stay passionate,
Kam

Posted by Kam  on  11/29  at  03:13 PM

Reese testing comments. By the way...I fear BOTH failure and success...a lot. Thankfully, it hasn’t held me back much, but a lot of times fear of failure prevents me from speaking up or shining my light like I otherwise would.

Posted by reese  on  12/01  at  10:45 PM

Reese,

The test worked! And thanks for sharing your fears about failing and success...I feel the same sometimessmile

I’m glad you keep on shing your light..it makes me shine brighter too…

xo,
kamsmile

Posted by kammie  on  12/02  at  03:04 PM

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