Does Failing And Failure Frighten You?
“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
–Picasso
Guess what? My blog is “broken.” Why? Because I broke it during a failed attempt to fix a possible security risk that upgrading to WordPress 2.3.1 is supposed to resolve. Quick question. How many bloggers have not attempted to upgrade to WordPress 2.3.1 because you’re afraid you might fail? As evidenced by my “Home Page,” my efforts to finish this arduous upgrade have failed.
Why is failure and failing perceived as a bad thing if one learns more by failing to “do something” than by succeeding to “do nothing?” Does failing and failure frighten you? If not, share your “success story” by letting us know what you’ve done for the “first time” during 2007. Before you post a comment, think about how you’ve been programmed, conditioned, and taught to define “success” and “failure.”
What have you done for the first time this year? For the first time, I’ve published a blog. Did I fail to write perfect, error-free posts? Most Definitely! Did I fail to achieve all the goals I set out to accomplish thus far? Most definitely! But I’ve learned so much and met so many beautiful bloggers because I stepped outside the boat of my self-imposed limitations. Steppin’ outside the boat of what gave me a false sense of security and launching this blog was truly an act of faith for a person like me with perfectionistic tendencies like mine.
Because my site is not monetized, I sacrificed my blogging goals as a blogger to birth my big dream by finishing a literary project that began before leaving Los Angeles, California in 1997. For the first time, I’ve “successfully” written, designed, and produced a 272 page book that has taken me over 10 years to complete. Only by the grace of God is Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness finished.
But because I’ve failed to write a post for this blog as frequently as expected to become a successful blogger, am I a failure in the eyes of my peers? Does anybody know who wrote the rules that govern bloggers and blogging? Who sat down and wrote the formulas and algorithms that determine “Page Rankings?” Did they succeed or fail? Does money earned determine who becomes a successful blogger?
How many of my prolific peers in the blogosphere will vilify me, ridicule me, reject me, and think less of me because I’ve failed, fallen short, and missed the mark set by a few professional bloggers? How many of my “subscribers” will stop supporting my relentless efforts to make a difference by abandoning my community because I’ve failed to rise to the level of your expectations? How many of you still believe that nobody loves a “loser” as much as everybody loves a “winner?”
During your quiet talk with God in your secret place, ask yourself, Does failing and failure frighten you because you still fear ridicule and rejection? Think about your answer before posting your comment.
Copyright © 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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15 comments November 26th, 2007
