This short exercise is part of a recent post I wrote about finding inner freedom.
It is recommended to read it first here
Exercise 1: Changing the meaning we give to failure
Short explanation: In this exercise we decouple the pain associated with failure and create a new association: “failure = opportunity for new learnings.”
This is a simple exercise we do with our kids during dinner: Each one of us shares what we learned and how we failed today.
Initially, when one of the kids would say that they did not fail, we would ask: “Oh, so you didn’t learn anything new today?”
This exercise provokes all of us to attempt new things even though they may lead to failure.
Exercise 2: Preparing to learn from both success and failure
Step 1: Take a piece of paper and write down (Yes, now)
- What is your dream? (personal and professional)
- What is it that excites you?
- What moves you?
- What scares you?
Step 2: Now write down:
- What is the first step you choose to take today to fulfill your dream? (if you get stuck read here how to get unstuck)
- What will you learn and how will you grow from taking this first brave step?
- What will you gain and learn if you succeed?
- What will you gain and learn if you fail?
Try these two exercises and feel free to share your experience with me.
To be truly free, just like babies, we need to continuously experience failure.
It is our learning and development through failure that brings us the most meaning and the most freedom.
Have a Happy Passover!
