“It blew up! It was a total mess! You would not believe how badly that failed! Oh man did we screw that up. It wasn’t incompetence; it just went the exact opposite of everything we thought. Maybe we should have seen it coming, but can you blame us?”
Failure can be fun.
Go back and read the beginning again, but this time read it like you’re having the time of your life.
Of course, most of us treat failure with disbelief. We beat ourselves up. We take full responsibility and punish ourselves in an attempt to correct the behavior. We ask divine forces, how can I ever be ok after this?
Usually, life goes on.
Sometimes, life slowly rolls off the edge of the table like a glass just out of reach. The plans shatter. Obstacles appear out of nowhere and the whole thing just falls apart in your hands.
What happens if you look for the fun in those failures?
Throughout my life, I have performed well in those moments where I was allowed to fail gracefully. I think about anchoring TV shows I did where I felt like no one was watching, or hockey games that I announced where the score was 7-1 and I wanted to try something new. On those days, I took risks. I attempted to find joy in the process.
Sometimes the risks failed. Then all I could do was smile at the camera and try to do better next time.
If you can find ways to enjoy those moments where things fall apart, then you will be willing to have more of them; unintentional catastrophes make great stories, after all. This attitude also allows you to quickly move beyond that moment.
I’m not someone who fails for fun often, but I like thinking about it. I like that instant where something has gone terribly wrong, and you find a way to laugh about it. It gives me energy.
So here’s to taking more risks and laughing about the mess!