Failure is Not to be Feared

As Theodore Roosevelt said; “It is not the critic who counts. ... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly ... who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

An excellent article with more great quotes from Theodore Roosevelt can be found here: TDR Quotes - I find them incredibly inspiring!

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Failure is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s part of journey to acheiving success. Any time you make a failed attempt, you gain experience and knowledge, which can be used for to push you forward in your next attempt.

I didn’t think I could be a very prolific writer. Turns out I am. Writing is about practice, and practice builds one’s abilities over time. Mindful practice does. I write a lot of stuff - not all is very good. I would say most is mediocre, some is downright terrible, but every so often, I hit the jackpot and something comes out exceptional. Exceptional is the result of intention.

Writing isn’t always about being great, it’s just necessary to do in order to improve as a writer. Understanding that was so freeing to me! All I can do is my best at any given moment in time.

I have a lot of things to say, I’m just not always that great at saying them. I love words, they just don’t always come together for me in the most logical manner to convey m thoughts. Part of the process, is about practicing the best ways to make our words make sense to readers. Our ultimate goal is to connect with readers. Through practice, failures, and earned successes, we learn how to do that.

I have ideas, and have found a way to turn those ideas into words. Not always good words, but words nontheless. Every time I write something - good or bad - I learn. I learn how to clarify my message, and, more importantly, I learn about what’s important to me, I learn how to effectively share my voice. Learning doesn’t come from following the easy path. It comes from not feeling completely discouraged by our failures. Learning comes from determination; a passionate drive to do better, inspite of the failures. Or because of the failures.

What I have discovered lately is a greater comfort in letting my own voice shine through in my writing. It doesn’t always follow the rules, and a number of readers are turned off by “me.” Oh well. Such is life. The “right” readers will find me and become my loyal fans. Developing an authentic voice takes time and practice and listening to yourself, but it’s worth the effort when you find your audience.

Am I being delusional? No, just giving voice to a belief in myself I didn’t know was there. I wonder if to be truly successful, whatever that looks like to you, takes a certain amount of arrogance. Some say I have too much, others say I don’t have enough. I’m working on finding the balance. A work in progress. OK. This has taken a turn into a “stream of consciousness” piece. I don’t think I’ve put one of those out there before. Here it is! So back to the premise of this piece.

Put yourself out there, risk failure, learn stuff - that’s where you’ll find confidence and ability. When you give up, that’s defeat. If it’s in your heart, keep writing! Challenge yourself. Any reward worth having is earned through hard work. Believe in the process. Believe in yourself.

You must be okay with not being great at every moment. Just do your best in every moment. Learn from your failures. Eventually, you’ll be great - consistently.

Thank you for reading! What is your favorite technique for improving as a writer? What are your thoughts on failure?