Dare to "Flail"
"Failure is not an option".
(from the movie "Apollo 13")
Let's dare to eliminate "failure" as a possibility, let alone an option, shall we? How often do we give ourselves only two outcomes for an event: success or failure? A++++ or nothing. Not only is there no wiggle room, this is a setup for the one thing we can be so afraid of: Can't, musn't, don't "fail".
OK. I won't ......
Let's consider what a difference one letter, the letter "L", can make by creating the word flail:
The verb means to move erratically or thrash about. The noun is a tool for separating seeds of grain from their husks. Either way, it's a win / win, isn't it? The word reflects the very essence of process, doesn't it?
Flail indicates bringing chaos into order—whether it's creating, redirecting or even backtracking. We flail. This works, that doesn't. This was really awful and yes, "they" noticed, laughed, and maybe even ridiculed us.
And the point?
What if we truly owned the steps of the the process?—the "mistakes", the "miscues", and the "missteps"? What if we called them by their true names?
Flailings instead of failings.
Consider watching a child learning to walk, or a fledgling learning to fly. Do we dismiss their attempts out of hand because they didn't "succeed"? NO.
Where is that compassion and encouragement for Our Selves?
How dare we expect a completed process at first blush.
How truly out of touch can we be with the practice of a learning curve?
So let's invite each other, and help each other to flail. That way, failure truly isn't an option. Any process just becomes a series of actions that leads us to our desired outcome.
Flail away—a breath, a step, a moment at a time .......