“In order to grow, first we must fail”
It’s here – the week of the 121st Boston Marathon! I’m so excited for, and very jealous of, all the wicked fast runnahs who get to go to the expo and pick up their bib, take in all the energy and sights of the city, and make the trek from Hopkinton down Boylston Street. And, of course, enjoy the victory and a special 26.2 brew.
For many, the Boston Marathon represents years of hard work; for others, it represents the ultimate goal; for an entire city, this week brings painful memories yet is an example of people coming together and coming out strong – one might say, #BostonStrong.
The Boston Marathon means something a little different to everyone, from major significance to nothing at all. For me, it has changed throughout the years, starting as a measure of prestige, evolving into a dream, becoming a reality, and now being a special memory.
Cheers to taking risks & being okay to fail
But more than that, for me the Boston Marathon is an example of the value of failure.
Failure? Isn’t a marathon, especially this one, an example of success?
I’ve shared my journey to the Boston Marathon, my quest to run a marathon in a qualifying time to earn my spot. How hard it was to miss the qualifying mark, not one, but two times, before achieving the goal. How I was able to learn from each failure and apply it to my next training season and race. How my fear of failing nearly got in the way of success.
I think that’s the part of my story that’s most important. We’re taught from a young age that failure is a bad thing. It starts with the shame of bringing home a failing grade on the report card. It follows us to adulthood where the word itself takes on a new, more intense meaning, the conversation going from, “I’m scared to fail,” to, “I’m scared of being a failure.”
Yikes. The problem with this is that failure can be a really good thing. It can mean you’re trying something. It can mean you’re going out on a limb. It can mean you’re taking a big risk. And what’s the payoff to a big risk? A big reward. If you never try anything big, you’ll never achieve anything big.
From muscle failure in the gym to personal failures in everyday life, we grow so much more when we fail first.
What have you achieved in life that you can attribute to failure? Comment or find me on Instagram or Twitter.