I have a confession to make. I have failed. A lot. In fact, I have failed so many times that I got so comfortable down there that I never expected anything more out of myself. My most recent fail was my last semester at school. Honestly, my entire academic career in college has been one failure after another. I’ve get easily distracted. I lose focus. I become lost in a myriad of tasks and continuously jump into another one until I forget where I started. Yet, by failure, it might be better to say not meeting my expectations and the lessons that come afterward.
I’ve learned how to be transparent with my lessons. People talk about failure but for a while I actually preferred failing from not trying versus failing after I tried. I started to create weaknesses and problems as a means to hold myself back and not feel bad that I am struggling. I was desperate for this bottom rung lifestyle but I couldn’t even tell you why.
I realized that it is easier to fail than to do great. To succeed means to have greater and greater expectations, even for yourself. Sometimes we fear not meeting the image of success in our hearts and to avoid that, we self-sabotage. Part of ourselves says, “See, I knew there was nothing great about me. I couldn’t do this small task, so why should I expect me to do something greater?”
That is truly a lie from the deepest and darkest part of your heart.
I’ve had to come to the realization that it failure is a needed lesson that builds resistance to future struggles when things don’t go your way. My favorite Marianne Williamson quote, “Our Deepest Fear”, as cliched as it has become is true. We are afraid of success more than failure. Being a failure is blending into the crowd, disappearing from the spotlight and going unnoticed. But, being excellent is a much harder to do.
Holding yourself to your own gold standard is a much more fruitful but difficult thing to do. In a society where excellence is praised yet shunned in many communities, I challenge you to be excellent. I challenge myself to do more.
Don’t Be Ordinary. Ordinary is boring and not what you were born to be.
Until next time,
Shine On!
Mr. Magnificent Miles
P.S. I will be posting my progress to a few of my goals on here as soon as I iron them out. Come Back soon and follow along.