Make mistakes. Be wrong. Fail.

Monday, December 16, 2024

Many times in my life; I’ve let a fear of failing or embarrassing myself stop me from even attempting new things. I am now attempting many of those same things. I have not become more brave or bold in my years; I’ve simply heard some wisdom from others that spoke to me on a deep level, and from that have decided that there is no shame in imperfection.

This was a Kafkaesque undertaking for me. For so many years of my life, I allowed my fear and imagined shame to rule my decisions. I would not allow myself to interact with the world in a new manner. How does a person acquire new skills when you are so afraid of failure that you can’t start?

I didn’t consider this to be an issue for over a decade. I was getting by on my own with the skills I had and was confident in. But then, a new person entered my life for a second time and made me start to think that I should try to broaden myself and try new things.

It was around the same time that I came across a quote that placed many things into a new perspective for me.

A master has failed more time than the beginner has even tried.

—Unknown

To become a master at something, you must have experience. The only way to gain experience is by doing the thing you wish to master. How could I gain these new skills if I never allowed myself to even try?

This idea coupled nicely with two others for me:

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

—Henry Ford

And

Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

—Samuel Beckett

With this newfound perspective, I decided to start streaming on Twitch and trying many other things that I thought I would never be good at. I dabbled with photography. I’ve even started writing this blog as a way to teach myself to be a better writer.

Is this content perfect? Absolutely not. Is it the best that I can manage right now? Undoubtedly! I know there is much to learn about story structure and narrative. It is known to me that my prose could be better, but I will no longer let this fear of not being perfect stop me from putting things out there.

From my vantage, I can see similar hesitations in Pliny the Elder and Pliny the younger. I hope that I can teach them these lessons earlier in life than I was able to learn them. I don’t want them to go through their formative years being fearful of trying new things.

Moreover, dear reader, I encourage you not to let fear, shame, or self-doubt lay barriers in your path that prevent you from striving to expand yourself into new arenas. I see things all around me that spark admiration for others. I recognize when people are pushing beyond their comfort zones and I say to you, “Keep going! You are doing a fantastic job, even if it isn’t perfect! Don’t let the thought of what other people may think prevent you from continuing!”

You can do anything, and I’m proud of you for trying!!