“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”-Michael Jordan
My youngest daughter turned 2 on Wednesday. Time flies, and looking back at pictures and videos over the last year, we watched as she went from crawling to walking. Falling and falling and falling. Getting back up and trying again and again and again.
You have probably heard educators talk about how everyone has different learning styles. Some people learn visually, others learn verbally by listening, and others physically by doing. Some people like to learn socially in a group, and others need to focus and learn in solitary. But, I think the best way for all of us to learn is by FALLING and FAILING.
Falling and failure are so natural, yet we convince ourselves “not to risk it” and to “play it safe.” It leads to stagnation. Personally and professionally.
So with graduation season upon us, I leave you with Denzel Washington’s words to the 2011 University of Pennsylvania graduating class, “If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”
Check out the entire speech here.
As my high school swim coach used to tell us, “You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
BJ Kraemer, President