Monday, September 16, 2013

Motivational Monday


"NOW YOU KNOW."

I'VE USED THIS SIMPLE MAXIM ON  CLIENTS WHO'VE GOTTEN PARKING TICKETS, AND ON OTHERS WHO'VE LOST MILLIONS INVESTING IN PONZI SCHEMES. 

I'VE LEARNED . . . TO SEE THE OUTCOME OF ANY EFFORT 
AS EITHER SUCCESS OR EDUCATION.
BOTH ARE INVALUABLE.
(Martha Beck)

I can't even begin to tell you the sense of relief I felt when I first read those words. Imagine taking the idea of "failure" off the table! No, really, think about it....

Instead of  - "My novel got so many rejections! I'm a failure as a writer!" 
We say - "My novel got so many rejections! I did learn a lot from the process though. Now I know...." 

Instead of - "This diet is so hard. I'm a failure at losing weight!"
We say - "This diet is so hard. I understand better what I need to do differently. Now I know...." 

I don't know how well this will work for everything, but I'm going to give it a try. I'm sure I'll still moan and groan and sulk and eat more chocolate than I should, but as someone who takes the idea of "failure" to some deep, dark, scary places, these words really do take off some of that pressure. 

Do you already look at most things as a learning experience? How do you usually handle "failure"? Thinking of giving the "Now I know" maxim a try?  

20 comments:

  1. It's only failure if we quit. If we learn and keep going, then it's not.

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  2. I love this. It's not what happens to us that defines us, it's how we REACT to what happens to us.

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    1. I'm glad!

      I read somewhere once that there's a difference between reacting and responding - reacting is done more because of something/someone while responding is more of our choice. I'm going to make more of an effort to respond instead of react. We'll see how it goes.

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  3. "I'm sure I'll still moan and groan and sulk and eat more chocolate than I should" <---That about sums it up.

    The 'now I know' approach sounds healthier.

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  4. I always say: Every think I know, I know because I made a mistake and I know a lot!

    I like to think I do learn from my mistakes. Sometimes it is a rinse/repeat mistake but as long as I eventually get back up. I'm good.

    I like the idea of: Now I know...

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    1. Yeah, I've got those "rinse/repeat" type of mistakes, too. :)

      I think the trick is to not let the mistakes beat us down to the point where we stop trying and reaching and growing. And learning.

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  5. I really liked this post! Thanks for sharing.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  6. Reminds me of the Thomas Edison '10,000 wrong ways to make a light bulb'. It really does help with perseverance though, to know that every step is a lesson, whether it gets external validation or not.

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    1. I'm hoping it will be easier to wade through the mistakes and not get bogged down in them by thinking it everything as a success/lesson as opposed to a success/failure.

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  7. so creepy but that phrase is a big line in my wip... whoa!

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  8. Another excellent post - and definitely one I should try and take to heart...

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  9. It's so true, and so hard to learn--how to see the benefit of every failure. See, that's what I'm needing to strive for: being a true optimist.

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    1. I don't think I'll ever be a true optimist, but I can definitely be more positive. :)

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  10. Oh, I love this one. Reminds me of a Maya Angelou quote I love: "I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
    I try to remember this way of thinking and let go of the past but it's easier said than done sometimes. Great motivation for this week. :)

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    1. It reminded me of the Maya Angelou quote, too.

      And I agree that it's easier said than done sometimes, but it's important to keep trying. :)

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