Nobody likes to lose, but sometimes our perceived failures can also be catalysts for profound reinvention.
A couple years ago, I was in a rough patch; physically, mentally, and emotionally
I’d been living some fantasy whereby not making time to take care of my health, I had more available time to help with the baby. The lies I told myself to justify my laziness and disengagement now seem insane. I had quit exercising, was eating a garbage diet, drank too much and thought everyone else was the problem.
The day I looked in the mirror with eyes that saw the truth was a turning point.
I had become the person I swore I never would be and seeing the Ghost of My Christmas Future in that mirror was a chilling moment I’ll never forget. It made me furious. How did it come to this?
Few things are as liberating as having your worst fear become reality and then realizing not all is lost.
Like Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” I changed that day. I started running again. I quit drinking. I signed up for a meal delivery plan. And most importantly, I forgave myself for my profligacy.
Needless to say, things got better quickly.
As I got healthy again, I started to feel I had a story to tell young fathers the world over. I had gone to the Wilderness and managed to come back after battling the dark side. And so, my relative success getting healthy again led to the second failure that made me the right kind of mad.
Getting rejected from TedX. Some petty bullshit I know, but it bothered me.
On the other hand, it also drove home the simple fact that if you want to get noticed, then you need to do things worth noticing.
Don’t tell the world you’re cool. Show them.
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