I founded Created For Greatness an outreach program for young girls between the ages of 9-16 and during one of the meetings in 2023, we talked about our fears. I asked, “What are some things you are afraid of?” One of the girls said she feared failing based on her observation of family members who had not succeeded at ventures they set out to accomplish. That looked like failure to her. I then asked the girls if they knew that it was important to fail at some things. This allowed me to share what my mama taught me growing up-nothing beats a failure but a try. I asked them if they knew what that meant. They looked around at each other, unsure. I explained it meant if you make the effort or attempt at that challenge you face, you won’t fail because you gave it a try.
Trying beats failing at something every time. Furthermore, you only fail at that thing if you give up or if you fail to try. I had them think about and imagine when they were babies how they began to grow to the point of a toddler who wanted to walk. I asked, “Did you just start walking because you could?” The all spoke up with a resounding, “No!” Then I asked, “Why?” They explained, “Because we couldn’t walk, but we tried and probably fell a lot!” I said, “Exactly! Toddlers don’t just know how to walk, but they try and fall plenty of times until they figure it out.” Trying is putting one foot in front of the other like Mary Poppins or the train in the book The Little Engine That Could. If you never attempt to do something, you will never know the outcome of trying.
There are times when I have faced moments of fear, possible rejection, or doubt. My armpits would start to sweat profusely overriding the air-conditioned environment I would be in, or my heart would begin to race rapidly with that nervous feeling in my gut. How does your body respond to fear?
Override the Fear
I remember when I briefly attended Lincoln Technical Institute some years ago. I was the only female in my class. One assignment we had in the garage was for each student to take a tire off the rim and put it back on. All the guys were taking their turns and when my turn came all eyes were on me. There was complete silence that entered the room so much that you could hear a pin drop. I knew they were all waiting to see if I could do it. As my heart started to beat intensely and thoughts of what if I can’t do it emerged, I could hear my mama’s voice overshadowing it all saying…‘nothing beats a failure but a try’ in my head. So, I blocked everything out, took hold of that confidence, attempted the tire change and conquered it. I did it! The class celebrated with claps, hi-fives, and cheers.
Discovery of Trying
As I hold on to ‘nothing beats a failure but a try’, I have learned many things over the years, but three that have been beneficial for me to take that step in always trying:
Fear is weakened:
Fear is an emotion that seems to be inevitable as a person. Whether it’s a new experience or a repeated one, there is some form of fear that creeps into my mind.
The mention of how my body reacts to fear is an automatic indicator that fear has no place in me. It’s like kryptonite to the human body.
If I say no to that thing that I know could hinder me whether it’s food, a person, substance etc. then I will not experience the negative effects of it.
Saying no to fear when I try to do what I set my sight on accomplishing immediately weakens the fear that wanted to overcome me.
Confidence is activated:
I believe we all have confidence instilled within us…that ounce of belief that we can succeed, accomplish, win whatever the endeavor is.
Trying activates that confidence and can override fear if we choose it over entertaining the fear.
Failure is conquered:
Trying is practicing something which helps us get better each time we try at it.
Since trying beats failure, every time I attempt to ‘try’, I conquer failure.
Whether the goal I attempt to reach is achieved or not, trying makes me successful.
Life is about taking chances. If we don’t take the chance to try to succeed, we will not know what it takes to reach success. We end up cheating ourselves of the dynamic possibilities of greatness for our lives and those around us.
What are some benefits of trying that you have discovered?
Comment below or email me. I would love to hear from you.
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