Success and Failure

The Science of Success

What is "success"? I think the ideas of "success" and "failure" depend on many things. If your idea of "success" is getting something absolutely perfect the first time you try it, then you will view many attempts as "failure". If your idea of "success" is "trying to do something in the effort to become successful at something" then you will view anything short of your goal as "steps to success". In the end, it is YOUR definition, that really matters. So here's some food for thought...

Just think for a minute. Think about babies or toddlers learning to walk. They are definitely NOT successful the first time. Neither are kids learning to ride a bike. Do they give up? No. And I don't think I have ever seen a grown person crawling on the ground because he or she gave up on the walking bit. 

Now let's take it a step further. Imagine someone, I'm going to use Tara Lipinski, our United States Gold Medal winner in the Olympics many years ago. You can use any other athlete of your choosing! Let's say we're showing a video to Tara as a eight month old. Keep in mind, Tara is able to talk (think Look Who's Talking movies for a minute!) and she's hearing us tell her our plans for her future. "Tara, first you're going to learn how to walk. Then we're going to put ice skates on you and you're going to skate on some ice. THEN we're going to go REALLY FAST in circles around and around the rink and THEN you're going to JUMP. Not only are you going to jump, but you're going to twirl around four times in the air, land on the ice, and not fall. Oh yeah, there will be people watching too. They will see if you can do it good or not. And there will be judges who watch your every move. And, you have to look gracious, smile, and act like you're having a ball."

Ok, so we said, Tara is able to talk. What do you think Tara will say in response? She can't as of yet WALK. And she's going to be told she's going to skate on ice, jump, land, not fall, and do this in front of how many people? And get judged? And represent her country? You would think Tara might laugh, say,"ha ha you're funny!" Or something else.

But see, Tara was never told as an infant that she couldn't do something. No one ever looks at a baby and says, "You'll never walk!" No one ever looks at a toddler going through potty training and says, "You'll never use the toilet!" (Unless they're a very exasperated parent!) See these are things that everyone can do.

We're all not going to be great at anything the first time we try it. Just because you try to do something and it fails does NOT mean you should give up. I love Mustangs. I have found that many Mustangs are stick shift. I do not know how to drive stick shift. One of these days I am going to own a Mustang. And I will learn to drive stick shift. Am I going to "get it" the first time? Hell, no! LMAO Anyone who knows my driving skills KNOWS this. I KNOW this. The first time I get behind the wheel and try it, I know it's going to stink. It will probably be very bad and I'll want to give up out of sheer embarrassment. BUT if I want a pretty Mustang, and I do...I will learn to drive stick shift. I will NOT be doing well the first day. I already feel sorry for whoever it is that my teacher is going to be! BUT, I will end up knowing how to drive stick shift. I AM going to make an ass out of myself while learning. (OK, maybe this is negative thinking! But...) It's going to happen.

Lately, I've been thinking about the cake decorating bit and I think I am going to try a different avenue. Like I said, you try something and it doesn't work, you don't quit. You evaluate what you learned from the steps you took and just view it as STEPS to success. There is no failure in trying. You're learning what doesn't work, is what you're doing. Not "failing", but "learning". And there's nothing wrong with "learning", right?

So, I've come across a different idea:

I think I will concentrate on what I can do that others can't do or don't want to do. Or, don't have the time or patience to do. I have a lot of patience when it comes to decorating. And I can help others make their cakes look like a showcase.   

This is what I like to do! I can still do any kind of cake I want, but this is where I maybe have the "wow" factor a little more.

I may not be "the best" right now. But I can keep practicing and become the best I can be. And, it DOES take practice. And patience.

AND, there is no way this cannot be fun! It's a blast. I am like a 41-year-old wishing I can be five again so I can play with Playdough and knock all the other kids' socks off...

So, cake or no cake, it is onto "figurines" for now for me! Maybe it's just that this summer was so hot I didn't want to bake and will pick it up again come October! We'll see...

Next we're going to have Ladybugs, Bees, and Black scary cats. So September and October-ish!

Just remember, the first time you put on make-up you didn't look so good! But you didn't give up, did you?