⏱️ What if it fails?
💡 1 IDEA FROM ME
What would you do if you knew it would fail?
Whenever we start out on something new, we certainly have a fear that it might work out. It might be a big waste of time. It might be embarrassing if it doesn’t work out.
But we also think of what could be if it works. It might raise your income. It might lead to a new relationship. It might allow you to experience things you’ve dreamed about for years.
And it is in that tension that attempt to pursue the thing.
But what if you knew it would fail? Would it still be doing? Would the lessons you learn be worth it? Would you enjoy the process enough that you could live with it failing?
This is a good question to consider at the beginning. If the answer is “no” it would not be worth it, then perhaps it is not worth pursuing. And this is ok to admit.
If the answer is “yes, I’d still like to do it even if it fails" then you know you are on to something. Of course, you don’t want it to fail. It would still be frustrating and discouraging, but it would still be worth it.
The lessons, knowledge, and experience would still be valuable. Or maybe you would still enjoy doing it even if it never takes off.
Let’s make this personal. Last month I started The Dylan Dodson Show. I get to have interesting conversations with people every week, most of whom I would have never connected with otherwise.
I really enjoy these conversations. If the show never gains the traction I hope for, if it “fails” in that sense, it would still be worth it to me. So I pursued it.
What would you do if you knew it would fail? How you answer that may reveal all you need to know.
💬 1 HELPFUL QUOTE
Sarah Ruhl on allowing love to inspire:
“There was once a very great American surgeon named Halsted. He was married to a nurse. He loved her—immeasurably.
One day Halsted noticed that his wife’s hands were chapped and red when she came back from surgery. And so he invented rubber gloves. For her. It is one of the great love stories in medicine. The difference between inspired medicine and uninspired medicine is love…
[He] loved her to the point of invention.”
📖 1 BRIEF BOOK REVIEW
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The classic book about a dying professor with ALS and his former student that visited him every Tuesday for the last few months of his life.
A quick read that draws you in. To be honest, I didn't really take away any principles or ideas from the book, but it was still a fun and easy read.
To hear from someone approaching death and how that gave him a clearer perspective on life was a treat. I was glad to have read it.
8/10
💯 1 THING I LIKE
How the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed.
Do you ever wonder how structures are built in the water? Here’s a fascinating look at how the Gold Gate Bridge was built.
