As a child it's easy to be fearless, to take risks, and to try anything. One of my first memories was when I was 5 years old and tried to jump off a swing. I didn’t think twice when my older brother told me to jump. Maybe I should have. I failed and landed face down instead of on my feet with two broken wrists.
Do you think that stopped me from trying again? Nope, once my wrists healed, I was back at attempting the perfect jump and landing.
It’s okay to fail
I remember my parents saying, we’d rather you try to achieve something you really want, than to give up for fear of failing.
As we get older, it becomes scarier to take risks. The belief that failure is bad can be overwhelming. For instance,
• In high school, you had to have amazing grades; win the game; get into the best college.
• In college – you wanted to get in the best sorority; receive honors; get that amazing internship.
• After college – it’s all about getting a job, then getting promoted; attending every event your friends invite you to; knowing what you want out of life.
And if you didn’t do any of these things you would consider yourself a failure. But what if as a society, we looked at failure as bravery? What if we didn’t judge everything that everybody did? What if you didn’t get into the best college as perceived by your 17 year old self? What if your first job after college isn’t ideal? What if you haven’t found your calling or the career you love yet? Chances are the world wouldn’t end and you may have new, bigger dreams.
Having the courage to go for something you really want is being fearless.
Last October, without hesitation, I accepted a job in Boston and moved 6 hours away from my family and friends. I really wanted a big change. Was it scary? Yes. Will I be here forever? Who knows. Do I have any regrets? No.
So, what advice should we take from our 5 year old self?
• Dream BIG!
• Dare to believe.
• Believe in yourself.
• Believe in your support system.
• Start doing the things you actually want to do.
• Step out of your comfort zone. By taking some risks and living fearless, you could have the most amazing experiences.
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