“We think we will die of embarrassment if we are rejected. We sometimes don’t even get up to bat because we don’t want to strike out. The way I understand it, success and failure, as commonly spoken of, are really imposters. It is the experience of moving toward the goal that is important. Moving equals success. Not moving equals failure.” David M. Smith and Sandra Leicester
Imposters! What a great way to think about failure—and success!Sometimes we spend so much time running from failure and chasing success, that we forget it’s the journey that really matters. It’s the experience we gain as we move forward that makes us better and stronger. It’s all the ups and downs along the way make our writing truer and deeper.
As long as we keep moving, we’re growing!
We keep moving when we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and get back in the game after we’ve encountered naysayers or rejection.
We keep moving when an obstacle throws us off balance and we right ourselves and create a new plan for getting where we want to go.
We keep moving when we turn a setback into a comeback by taking our work to a new level in response to feedback we’ve received.
We keep moving when we stay open to change and realize that leaving our comfort zone is the only way to move forward.
So let’s see failure—and success—for what they are: illusions. Failure, because as Dr. Rob Gilbert* says so well, “There’s no failure, only feedback.” And success, because it’s a moving target—there’s always more to know and do. If we spend all our time chasing it, we forget to enjoy the journey.
One evening, I found myself lost on my way to a bookstore in Brooklyn. A kind stranger helped me out and said, “You’re on the right track. Keep going. You’ll get there.”
I often think of his encouraging words . And now that I think of it, in a way, we’re always on the right track as long as we keep going. Write on!
* Check out Dr. Gilbert’s “Success Hotline” (973-743-4690) for a daily dose of motivation!
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