...to say it with the words of Nelson Mandela.
Last week I happened to meet a friend I had not seen for half a year. After we shared a few sentences, he said: "I saw you on Youtube recently, did you try to start such a channel?"
I paused. I had started a channel. I had not only tried but done it. Otherwise, he hardly could have seen my videos. (I had NO IDEA about steemit back then! If I had, I would not have started on the dark side of the internet.) When I said goodbye and got back on my bike to pick up my daughter from kindergarten, I understood what he meant. In his eyes, my little Youtube channel was just a try because it wasn't commercially successful. I only had around 100 followers.
But the channel existed. I never said that I try to start a super successful channel. Apparently, my friend assumed that. And that's why it failed in his eyes. Strangely enough, it did not feel like that for me. I tried to start a channel. And I started a channel. I filmed, edited and uploaded videos, and even received feedback. I didn't achieve prestige and money so far. And even if I wanted to be successful wouldn't mean that my opportunity already ran away.
But my friend had many expectations, as you learn in a performance-oriented society in which the Media heaves everybody with casting shows for every topic in life. Whether there are shows about who is the best cook, singer, dancer or even lover: it's all about the competition. He probably assumed that I was disappointed because my 2. or 3. video didn't go viral immediately.
In my eyes, if you try, you can only win! Because it always leads somewhere.
There is never a ZERO outcome when you try. You always win something. You get to know people, yourself, gain experience or learn from your mistakes. And even if the only lesson you learn is: life goes on if you are not officially successful with something.
Redefining success
I think much of trying. Unfortunately, trying somehow went out of fashion. Success is quite in fashion.The bling bling success that brings a lot of money and reputation.
The way my friend portrayed it, sounded like I failed while trying. And this fallacy gets many in to a freezing behaviour. They prefer not to try what they're really striving for because they could fail, so they prefer to let it be. And how is the outcome if you act so? ZERO.
I'd rather try something and take whatever outcome it may have.
In the best case, it even works the way you want.
And in the worst case: you get what you need.
Most of the time the ego gets in the way. It does not want to face, not to show vulnerability. There is the following trick to get rid of that problem: Let's say you want to work in one of the biggest agencies. That would be your biggest dream, but you think you're not great enough to apply. So you just decide to keep your fingers off this dream and let time pass. Where do you get with that? Nowhere. All you have then, are unfulfilled dreams, dissatisfaction and a waste of time.
Option one is to freezeand become one of those people that rate others who dare. Someone who makes digs at others and all of their "failures" just because that someone is brave enough to try. (although you have no idea what kind of awakenings failures can bring for them). But you are not, so you feel better doing that while sitting in your zero outcomes.
Option two is doing something that gets you out of this stagnation: You're applying for the big agency. Like a total megalomaniac.
You're being rejected! What happens now is that you've made way for something new you can do. And exactly that may bring you even closer to working in such an agency. You just found a new destination and you have learned that life goes on anyway. No one laughs at you or turns away.
You are set in motion, and that alone brings you closer to any imaginable goal. Suddenly you get to know completely new ways and goals. And so you won either way.
...
This was my first "try" to write an article on steemit.
I hope you had a good time reading it,
Clara
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immerclara/