Dare to fail

Do you dare to fail? Every time I write a sentence I wonder if it is good enough. After all, I’m sure there is someone else who can write down something similar, have the same idea, or a comparable concept – and word it way better. So I stop myself. Or I write it down and then delete it again.

I get stuck deciding which words to use to describe what I want to say and then start googling randomly – just to keep busy. This time -whilst googling – I came across something fabulous- the Institute for Brilliant Failures. Paul Louis Iske, founder of this genius association of failures (“Chief Failure Officer”) advocates a society in which we no longer focus so much on ‘getting up’, but rather on ‘falling down’. As such, he wants to remove the sense of fear and shame attached to failure and instead focus on the valuable lesson that failure brings.

Iske: “You don’t change the past, but you learn from mistakes.
It is precisely our fear of failure that hinders creative ideas and innovation.”

Iske’s words remind me of my own failures. And the failures of others. The drive, wanting to create, the fear, the shame, not feeling good enough. It’s good to remind yourself that failing is actually very brave and that only failure, time and again, will lead to success in the end. As
any thriving achiever will tell you, “Yes I too have failed, a hundred times.” That in turn inspires me to persevere, to take one long breath, try again, type again, knowing I too, will get there. And share this process.

Picture: Stephan Holzinger.