The purpose of failure
I was preparing for my first triathlon when a seasoned cyclist dropped some wisdom on me:
“You haven’t biked until you’ve hit the pavement.”
In that moment, I didn’t get it.
Then one day I became intimately acquainted with the asphalt.
The pain was both physical (bruises) and emotional (embarrassment).
Failure serves a greater purpose than momentary pain or shame.
It brings us face-to-face with these soul-searching questions:
How bad do I want this?
Is it worth the cost?
Failure isn’t out to harm you. Its intent is to check-in with your motives.
If your answers to these questions aren’t:
“Real bad.”
“Yes.”
…that’s a good indication you should pursue something else.