Through great adversity, champions are born…

I won’t apologize for the grammar and punctuation mistakes I make in this post. I’ve turned the perfectionist in me off, or at least I’ve tried. I frequently have the urge to revise and edit before I’ve even finished writing. I love that part of myself that wants everything to be perfect. But let’s be real. I am flawed. In fact, we are all flawed, and accepting this helps me realize that it’s ok to make mistakes. Hell, it’s ok to make those mistakes in front of others, so long as you’re moving forward. My former boss, Phil, frequently reminded me of this important principle. You must fail forward. At first, this concept seemed impossible to me. You see I was in the pursuit of a perfect life. But in my pursuit of perfection, I now realize I could not make it all happen exactly how I wanted it to be. And that’s ok.

So begins my reboot…

In the not-so-distant past there lived a young man in his mid-twenties thinking that he had it all. A loving pregnant wife, a rambunctious one-year-old son, cheap dwelling, more video games, TV shows, and movies than I ever really needed, and a part-time job holding it all together like that rubber cement you used on that last project but didn’t really get the job done. I convinced myself I was going places and that I was doing enough. But was I really?

Along comes a full-time opportunity at work! Admittedly, I wasn’t interested at first, but as my chances to get the position seemly increased so did my pride and my belief that I would be offered the job. I think you all know how this story ends. A tragedy for sure, right? That’s what I thought at first too, but I think our initial instincts in this case are wrong.

What happens? I didn’t get the job. I was heartbroken and most of all I was angry. I felt like I had been passed over. I had been working so hard to be the best candidate, but what I failed to realize was that I wasn’t the type of person they were looking for. I was certainly on the right path and perhaps with a few important changes, I could become what they wanted. But I had to ask myself. Did I want to change myself into what they needed? Or did I want to pursue a different path?

The story is not over yet though. You see after I received this news both my wife and I were devastated. I felt like less of a man. I had begun to count on that future income. How could I possibly take care of my family? Sure, we were making enough to get by, but we want so much more than to just get by. We wanted to pay off all our debt and begin saving in earnest to buy a house. In other words, we felt it was time for us to start living the dream life. While it’s not bad to want those things, I am grateful for this opportunity. And, yes, I call it an opportunity. That’s what trials are, opportunities to grow and improve. Through great adversity, champions are born.

I must admit that after I was given the news, I fell into a filthy gutter of despair. I went from being impressively productive in September to an all-out loser in October. I wasn’t motivated to do anything, and even when there were spurts of moments that I did, I couldn’t stay focused for long.

What’s the point? I thought. I’m just going to fail anyway. I had forgotten that wonderful principle of failing forward. There were many people influential in helping me stand up and step out of that deep gutter. They helped pull me out. My former boss, Phil, is a great soundboard and one of the wisest men I know. He gave me the means, but it was my best friend, Levi, who gave me the jumpstart I needed. He offered me an invitation back into writing. He reminded me what it was like to be excited to write! Even as I sit here writing this blog post I feel such incredible joy! I had forgotten. I had given into fear.

No More! I will no longer let fear anchor in my heart. I am most grateful to have a friend who has begun to become serious about the craft. It is my hope and belief that when we have the support of others, we will be able to lift each other up when the going gets tough. I am also a firm believer in Christ. All aspects of our lives are important to Him, especially our dreams. I know that when I falter, he will send angels like my dear friends Levi and Phil to lift me up. If you’re reading this, I hope you feel inspired to live up to your true potential. Find something you love, even if you’re not good at it now with consistent, persistent work you will be surprised at what you can do.