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What if I Told You There is No Such Thing as Failure?
Failure is merely a feeling
You might have heard how success is built on failures and how important it is to learn from your mistakes, but there is more to it. Just like any issues you are facing, whether it’s a person or a task at hand, it’s not the thing itself that’s the problem, but how you are relating to it. How do you see failure? Do you fear it? We mostly do, and yet, it’s an inevitable part of life and growth.
What if we understood failure as merely a feeling, something impermanent, rather than a permanent trait we identify with? It starts with being aware of the language we use. Rather than saying ‘I’m such a failure’, but taking on a more objective voice saying ‘I tried this one thing in this way and it didn’t quite work out.’
The problem with creativity and life is, we often get drowned out by our inner critic instead of staying curious with the process and seeing what else is there. Unfortunately, sometimes we even stop trying again to avoid the pain of feeling or being seen as a failure. But don’t succumb to playing small. It will only make you feel frustrated and discontent further down the road because deep down, we all have an innate desire to express and create freely.
“Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.” — Nelson Mandela
Allow things to shape and form as you go along. Stop trying to figure things out, but simply show up and try, and let it figure itself out. The more I understood and experienced a flow state in life whether it is through a walk in nature, meditation, or being captivated by beautiful architecture, I can see how the principles of mindfulness and intentional living apply greatly to creativity and work.
It’s about mastering the balance of efforting and relaxing. Just like when we tense a muscle and relax it after lifting something, the best moments and creation are done in a similar tension of push and pull, trying and seeing what happens, flowing with the process rather than trying to control it.
However, our society encourages us to stay in the efforting zone, being productive and trying to reach somewhere with quick…
