Why Failure Is Not A Bad Thing

Today I failed. I signed up for a beginners motorcycle class and the second day into the class I called it quits. I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of coordination involved to steer, shift gears, speed up, slow down, and stop. In fact the only thing I was good at was stalling the engine. As the pace of the class picked up, I got to the point where I was scaring myself with my inability to control the bike, and decided it was best to quit now rather than spend the next few months rocking a body cast. So $125.00 down the drain, but I did learn a few valuable lessons.

• Failure does not mean it's the end of the world (unless you're on a mission to destroy an asteroid headed for earth).

• It's hard NOT to feel bad when we fail. No matter how we reason with ourselves, fighting back tears becomes an insurmountable task when we associate failure with feeling helpless. And it's okay to cry. It doesn't mean you're weak or you're flawed as a person. 

• Failing simply means you have to develop a new plan of action. Examine why you failed, and then try again with new viewpoint. 

• Do not define something as impossible over one failed attempt. As a stuntman, Evil Knievel suffered over 433 bone fractures in his lifetime. Ultimately he died of pulmonary disease in 2007, but the point is he never stopped believing in possibilities.

• Gauge how important your goal is. You certainly don't have to succeed at everything in life just to prove you're not a 'quitter.' Some things simply aren't worth any more of your time or effort. I once failed at putting a VCR back together and I've never lost sleep over it. 

• If you've identified that an objective that is important, resolve to try again. Don't allow negative thoughts over a few failed attempts stop you from reaching your goal.

 

I may try learning how to ride a motorcycle again but being in school and short on funds, it will probably be awhile.

 

 

Daily Nuggets...

• I saw Jurrasic World yesterday but was disappointed more tourists didn't get eaten. 

• Since father's day is over I'm scouring Craigslist for a used grill.

• Deciding what to do with tomorrow now that I don't have the motorcycle class to go to.