“I think I can.” Is the First and Most Important Step Towards “I did!”

I firmly believe that we are our own greatest enemies. Our pride, above all else, can lead us to miss out on so much of life and the opportunities it has to offer. It can also have serious negative effects on our ability to enjoy life.

For example, many educators and other intelligent individuals have noted that schools are becoming more and more standardized and routine. An emphasis on math an science has led many to become accuracy students, seeking a “right” answer and a “wrong” answer, clear-cut solutions, and points. Public education has become a numbers game revolving around finding a designated answer.

This constant pressure towards perfection is overwhelming and can become very unhealthy. Students lose the ability to think creatively, suggest radical approaches, and accept failure.

Failure (which for many highly-motivated students is an 80%) is crushing, embarrassing, frustrating, and depressing. The entire future seems to ride on getting at least 100% on every activity, and any mistakes are unacceptable. Students cheat and take short cuts in order to make the grade, leaving actual learning and understanding by the way side.

I recognize the importance of getting correct answers, and I also appreciate the need to learn lessons of failure, balance, and acceptance on your own. The system in practice tends to lead to far more stress and less learning than it should

However, the reality is that people make mistakes. Thomas Edison said, “If I find 10,000  ways that don’t work, I haven’t failed. I’m not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” he didn’t get embarrassed when the first lightbulb didn’t light up the night. He didn’t say, “Oh my gosh! I’m so dumb! I quit!” It’d be a dark day had Edison said, “Screw this lightbulb thing. I’ll just use some candles or something. (Pun unintended but funny.)

When we tell the Doubting Thomas (It’s funny because my last name is Thomas) in our head to shut the fuck up and let us do our thing, we are capable of so much more than we anticipated! And even when things don’t go as intended, you’ve still gained the knowledge and experience from the attempt.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” and I agree. Next time you want to do something, but don’t think you can, tell yourself you can’t, don’t want to embarrass yourself, or others tell you you can’t, think about a world where two crazy guys never tried to make a wooden structure suspend itself in the air. Imagine an eccentric inventor who gave up on lightbulb 3, or 5, or 99. Now imagine what the world might miss if you don’t try. You’ll never know, and neither will anyone else, but it would sure suck to spend your whole life wondering if you had tried that, if you had stuck your neck out there, and ground out one more try, could you have cured cancer? Could you have found a way to conserve energy? Could you have helped ease an international conflict or feed starving people? Could you have made even a small positive impact? If you don’t try, you know you won’t. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”- Michael Jordan.

So don’t be afraid to fail. When you fall, you get back up with battle scars that show the world a piece of who you are. Don’t be your own roadblock, just jump into life. You only live  once, and the pain of sacrifice is much less than the pain of regret.