I had a conversation with my mom last week about failure. While I’ve come very far in my life, I had to take a second to question whether I had really failed enough in that lifespan. I know this may seem strange but bear with me.
I have always made an extreme effort to succeed at everything I do. In school, it’s rare to get a second chance to recover from failure. As a young adult, in college, the possibility of failure comes with a pretty heavy price tag. I purposely avoided classes that could affect my GPA and I spent countless hours charting the path that would give me the best chance of academic success. I made the mistake of thinking that my GPA was so incredibly important but I was always aware that I could lose my scholarships at the drop of a hat.
Last year, I came across The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime. It’s a series set in the 1950’s. It’s centered around the life of a housewife turned comedian, Miriam Maisel. We follow her through her life as she struggles to find the balance between her newfound career that she’s passionate about and fulfilling the role that society has thrusted upon her.
At first, I wasn’t feeling this series. The highs and lows of Midge Maisel’s life made me uncomfortable because she was clearly a pampered princess. However, I continued to watch to see if she would become the comedian that she was shooting for. At the end of season 2, I was hooked and intrigued.
The beauty of this series is that her problems are real, relatable problems. One in particular is when she goes and bombs for the first time on stage. She’s so excited to get on stage and she has all this material from her first day of work. And she’s literally taunted off the stage.
Her confusion, frustration, and embarrassment is felt through the screen. And this is when I realized that I had never had that experience. I’ve never dived all into an experience and damn near drowned. And in hindsight, it occured to me that this will probably hinder me in my future endeavors. Failing is a critical step in the path to success and through failing, we learn, grow and evolve into better people.
So after many binge-filled nights, I finished season 3 with a new understanding of failure and success. Here’s what I’ve learned.
- Failure is acceptable (As long as you try again.)
- There’s always a silver lining. (Hint: it’s usually a lesson)
- Follow your passion, even if very few support you.
- The shortcut isn’t always the best method
- Don’t be afraid to cry
- Be yourself & Hold to your morals
- Love yourself and all your flaws
- Never give up on your passion or calling
- Never be afraid to ask for help
- No one wakes up an expert. It requires time, effort, and consistency.
The story of success and failure looks different for everyone. For me, it means starting my own business and creating generational wealth. Thanks to Mrs. Maisel I’m more inclined to make the jump into the unknown. I’m willing to take the risk of failure, even for the slightest chance of success.
D'Miria Collins 