“And why do we fall, Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” ~ Thomas Wayne
Failure. Setbacks. Disappointment. It’s all as much a part of our lives as triumph, accomplishment, even victory—it’s just not as welcomed. Yet, there are those who say, “you cannot enjoy real success without having suffered defeat,” just like it is said, “one cannot truly learn to love without also having endured heartache.” Trite? Maybe. True? Eh.
I have never been one to give up, or be hindered by obstacles … I, like most lowly mortals, have been dealt my fair share of gloom and have had moments where I had to choose between dusting myself off, standing back up and trying again or accepting the agony of defeat and crawling into a corner to cry my eyes out. And most times, even the ones where I allowed myself a few hours (or even days) in the rabbit hole, most of the time I was always able to spark a new spirit, shall we say, and forge forward with determination and strength of mind. Admittedly, some of those times took longer than others, but still … I have always been a fighter …
Admittedly, there are times where an empty corner, a bottle of wine and a box of Kleenex call my name like the sirens beckoned to Odysseus. And, like the ancient Greek King, I was unable to resist. And there are times when even I ended up playing Russian roulette with the devil … teetering on the ledge. Almost as if he’d given me an invitation to dance in hell and I kept vacillating with my response. Should I go? Should I stay? What should I wear?
So, what’s brought me to this little ledge of self-reflection? What’s wrong you wonder? It doesn’t really have anything to do with something being “wrong,” it’s more like I’m frozen in a perpetual state of trying to decide my next step and I’ve found myself sidelined … twisted to the point where I may have contemplated throwing in the towel (that’s a metaphor folks). Is it a fear of failure? No. Fear of success? Maybe.
So why do we fall? Who knows …
Failure, however, does not make success sweeter. That’s right—failure does not make success sweeter. Not really. At least not in the simplest forms, like you fell off your bike, but you got back up and eventually learned to ride. Not like you got a C- on your term paper but aced the final so your end-of-the-year grade was an A. And not because it took you exactly seventy-three attempts at making hollandaise sauce before you got it right (then again, have you ever tried to make hollandaise? It isn’t easy so if you’ve succeeded, then I say the world is your oyster!) … moving on …
Taking a risk. Jumping and not fearing the fall. Doing. Regardless of outcome … it’s the gumption that feeds our spirit. Because failure, I think, is something we need—it’s how we learn. And it is, I think, as much a necessity to victory as breath is to life. Because when we try things and don’t succeed, that doesn’t mean we are defeated. Sure, the immediate outcome might not be what we wanted, but the attempt isn’t a failure … I mean isn’t it the process or processes, at least in part, what make our successes sweet?
“Failure is the ultimate form of encouragement—because without it, we’d be in danger of settling for mediocrity.” ~ Woody Allen
And so, I know it’s about time to throw caution to the wind and jump. It’s time, to write the next scene in my movie montage and soar. Besides, I, like Batman, have a few people in my corner who I know will help me stand up, if I fall.
Today’s post inspired by the Word Press daily prompt: Describe a risk you took that you do not regret. Cover image created with Google AI.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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