Failure, Success and Modern Living

Every now and again I go through mini life crises. Crises really is too strong a word...let's say...reflections. Recently, I have had various occasions to think about success, failure and life direction in general. Life has the potential to be quite stressful in a number of ways, depending on the individual - I think one of my greatest stresses emerges from a lack of clear direction. Other people may find this exciting, and I'm sure I would think it was exciting if I was stuck for the foreseeable future in a routine.

My musings about "what next" revolve around various questions: what's important to me; what kind of skills do I want to gain; where would I like to go; what do I need to get "there" that I don't have; will a chosen path limit my chances of meeting someone; am I sure that what I want is really what I want and not an impression left by friends, family or society; etc. I can provide some answers to some of these questions, but there are still a lot of blanks.

Today, I was directed to a TED talk about personal success that resonated with me, and I think most people would be able to relate to some aspects of it:



The idea of failure is one that has scared me for years. I used to be so afraid of failure, that I wouldn't really try. The rationale being that if you try and fail, you've really failed. If you don't try and fail, you'd probably be successful if you actually tried. Totally logical. I tend to try now, when it counts. In fact, I can easily recall instances recently where I've really failed. As it turns out, it's not that bad, and I have learned quite a bit from the experiences. Sure, it's not a nice feeling, but failing is most definitely a part of life. And it should be. As Alain de Botton says, no one can be perfect at everything.

In the end, my definition of success involves me feeling satisfied and happy both personally and professionally. I can't decide if that's too much to strive for, or completely reasonable. I think it is probably not too much to strive for. The trick will be ensuring that my expectations for myself and others have a limit. I am not reaching for the sky; and we are not all so special, despite what Mr. Rogers may have told us.