The Perks of Failure! (MoMM)

There is a certain amount of comfort in failing. And by failing, I don't mean giving something your best shot, coming really close and just missing by a hair. By failing, I mean looking at a goal, way out there in the distance, smiling, waving and staying right where the hell you are.

I am talking about failure to act.

I mean that sort of failure is easy. And it's not just failure in and of itself, it's getting comfortable on the wrong side of any dichotomy. Let's look at style for example. You could keep up with fashion. You could have clothes which are a la mode. You could style your hair every day. You could have cool shades of well-applied make-up and killer stilettos.

Or you could pull on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. It's easy.

The problem with failure to act is that it's just as easy to get lulled into it. Even if something really matters.

We've all got our goals. Most of us have broad, overarching goals as well. Those goals that start with "some day I'll". And because they're things that will take a lot of work, we don't start on them today. And before you know it, today is tomorrow, and tomorrow is yesterday, and we're blowing out the candles on our 80th birthday cake and thinking "Who knew I still had that sort of lung capacity?"

But also thinking, "How did I get here? When did my dream pass me by?"

And there's another comfort of failure to act. Let's go back to the fashion example. Fashion is really subjective. You could go out in a black garbage bag. One day, all the critics would praise you as avant-garde and risque. Another day, everyone would want to know if you're crazy. But you can't go wrong in a T-shirt and jeans. You won't be particularly fashionable, but you won't be out of fashion either. You achieve a comfortable middle ground where you won't ever win, but you'll never lose either.

It's easy. It's comfortable.

But I actually want to win!

Which will you choose: failure to act, or the risk of failure to succeed?