Photo © Keith Huang
“I really believe in this work you have to want failure as much as you want success, to grow.” – Jet Eveleth
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Post a commentThe improv blog with attitude.
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The improv blog with attitude.
Photo © Keith Huang
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Every year, I believe this more and more, although so much, that I find the word ‘failure’ misleading, now, and feel odd every time I use it. When you make a statement like Jet’s, most people say, “Yes, yes. We learn so much from our mistakes.” The lesson is deeper than that, however. The ‘gold’ we seek is actually right there inside the apparent failure, itself. In life, for instance, we might have an extraordinary business failure that ruins our entire financial security, but key people we met during and because of that failure, or even those who failed alongside us, turn out to be the very contacts who are catalysts for our biggest successes. We might have a catastrophic relationship breakdown with an associated mental health crisis, causing the truest friends we’ll ever have to rise to the top, and leading us to surround ourselves with the right people for years to come. We attain the most powerful insights into life overcoming the challenge. All this is true of the simplest perceived ‘failed’ offer in an improv scene. The offer itself is usually an opportunity for success in disguise, and we choose whether we take advantage of it, in our response to the offer. If you ‘want’ (as Jet puts it), naturally occurring failure, that means you recognise its potential, and you will be much more likely to capitalise on it.
So true, Nick! Very well put. Thanks for posting.