Fail, failure, failed, Failing. Ugh!! However it is said, I HATE this word with a fiery passion. This word and its meaning, I find, has such power over people. It causes fear, anxiety, overwhelming desperation, and total devastation. Sadly, I have come across this more often than not. And no matter how hard I try, there doesn't seem to be a way to shift the way that person thinks of this. In the many cases that I have witnessed it does appear that failure is final in most of these minds.
I have to admit writing about this topic does cause my blood to boil, so, it begs to be discussed. It can be very challenging to teach someone something if they think this way. During much of my time on Earth, I have witnessed people break down crying, and hyperventilating, and a few times I have had people snap at me and yell "I WILL NOT FAIL!" with such conviction.
Whatever I can do to help break people of this way of thinking sign me up. I have gone as far as avoiding this word entirely while trying to teach someone something. Then that word pops up anyways from whomever I am teaching and next, I am busy trying to keep that person from spiraling. Which, if you've ever dealt with anyone who worries like this I am sure you already know, it doesn't matter how hard you try to talk to them, while they are worrying like that they can't hear you.
I am hoping through my writing and acknowledgment of this problem I will be able to help some people gain a level of understanding about failing and ease the anxiety brought on by it. If there was a way to shout this next sentence loudly to the world so everyone could hear it I totally would...
The only way to fail at anything is if you quit!
Yep, that's it. So what, you messed up getting whatever it was right the first time or the second, or the third? Get up and try it again. If this is something you really want to do why would you just give up and/or allow such fear to rob you of it? Anything worth doing is usually hard and there is no shame in messing up. You did not fail with any of these attempts. You learned what does not work in whatever pursuit along your path to get it right. So refrain from using that word. In reality, there is no such thing as failure anyway as long as you never give up.
Until Next Week,
Your Fellow Classmate Harmony
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