While I like the sentiment of “failure is not an option,” I can’t agree with the statement in its entirety. Failure happens, sometimes because of something I’ve done or failed to do and sometimes because of circumstances entirely out of my control. When it does, how will I stand up under it if I live life by the credo “failure is not an option”?
The answer is that I can’t. I will shoulder a weight that was always too large for me, and I will be crushed by it. I will be wracked with guilt. My perfectionism will soar to an all-new high. I will live in a danger zone, and I will get scorched. I will plummet to earth, and there will be nothing to keep me from that inevitable, self-destructive end.
If, however, I choose the spirit of “failure is not an option,” life becomes more manageable. I come to understand that failure happens but that doesn’t mean I, as a person, am a failure. Yes, I failed. Yes, I will fail again. I’ll miss the mark. Does that mean I give up? Do I continue with missing the mark since I never seem to hit it?
Not at all. I work to improve my aim. I steady myself and study to show myself approved. I always look for what’s better, and what’s better is not failing and failing again but failing and trying again. If failure is not an option, it’s because I get up no matter how many times I fall.
Image: Tomasz Stasiuk (Creative Commons)
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