Without (Resonate11 – Dec. 11)

December 11

Without: What can you do without in 2012? What was holding you back in 2011?[Author: #Resonate11]

If I could wave my magic wand and banish one thing from my life in 2012, it would be fear of failure.

I hate the idea of failure, but sometimes I feel that I worry so much about failing that I never give myself an opportunity to succeed. This may have been best illustrated a few weeks ago when, during a conversation with Hubby, I spouted off some words of wisdom: “If you don’t try, you can’t fail.”

Seriously? Someone make this bitch a motivational poster, stat!

Ok…fine…

SUCCESS!!!!!

You see what trying does, though? This fat kid thought he could play basketball and now the whole wide internet is making fun of him. He’s going to see this, cry and then start eating his feelings (even more). As he becomes more obese, he’ll withdraw from society and his friends — I mean the d-bags on the basketball team who convinced the fat kid to try out in the first place just so they could make fun of him. Kids are mean like that.

Or maybe I’m just thinking pessimistically? Maybe I’m reflecting my own negativity and insecurities into that fat kid. You know, maybe that kid thinks the picture is funny? Maybe he uploaded the picture himself (and, if he’s really talented and with the right equipment, he could’ve even taken the picture himself)? Maybe he’s not ashamed or embarrassed – he feels like a damn internet rockstar now. Come to think about it, I’ve already spent a good 30 minutes finding the picture, putting my own wording on it, and talking about this kid I would probably have never even known existed if he hadn’t been all up in my Google Image search for “fail?”

Was his “fail” really a success?

Listen, there’s a long ass list of things I’m afraid of – everything from logical fears (economy, jobs, money) to irrational fears (clowns, centipedes, sticky). But is it worth it to sit back and never try anything just because I hate the way I feel when I’m not good at it? I think the answer here isn’t necessarily a “yes” or a “no,” but maybe “sometimes?” Failing sucks. It does. I don’t want to chase down every random dream that pops into my head every five seconds (I once thought it would be “fun” to work as a cosmetic mortician, which would’ve been a waste of time and money to start classes only to find out that DEAD PEOPLE ARE FREAKING GROSS!!!! It totally seemed like a good idea at the time, though).

Joking aside, you can’t succeed if you don’t try. I know this. Anyone who passed kindergarten with at least a few gold stars knows this. Trying new things is good! It’s how you learn to like (or cook) new foods, discover abilities you didn’t think you had and generally just makes you feel full of winning.

And, even if you don’t succeed and look like a fool trying, be sure to take plenty of pictures so we can all laugh at them later.