Failure

The Uncomfortable Truth: The beginning of every new chapter or journey should be exciting, exhilarating and where hope reigns supreme. It’s also where your ego and your soul continue to battle it out. Your ego tells you all is good. Your soul tells you to continue to do your checks and to take nothing for granted. So, what should you do when you start to experience the niggles from your soul that nudge and gently prod you? Is it possible that all is not what it seems? The voice of your soul just won’t be quiet. Your ego is pushing and shoving for your attention, but the voice of your soul reminds you to listen. Listen to the words that are not spoken. Listen to the voices that are living in the noise. As each day goes by, the reality unfolds. The niggles and nudges grow in their intensity: still gentle, but they begin to land and challenge you with the questions that you’re either not ready to hear or you simply don’t know enough yet to be able to answer them.

Growing Pains: You speak to your family, to your friends, and this time you even get professional support. Can you be certain when you are so early in the journey? We’re told that change can be painful and to keep ploughing forward because when you’re uncomfortable, you’re growing and learning. 

Ego: Why aren’t you happy? You have it all… don’t you? Check in your privilege, it could be a lot worse. You should be grateful for what you have. Focus on the positives. On virtual paper, it’s all good because you have what you wanted. 

Soul: That depends on what having it all means. When the outside doesn’t reflect what happens on the inside. When the words that are spoken do not match the actions. When you struggle to join the dots. Why do the soul and the ego continue to be at odds with each other? 

Death By a Thousand Cuts: These can be the symptoms when your purpose and values are already being eroded, de-prioritised and, in some cases, diminished in totality? When what you are most passionate about is no longer a priority, and in some cases, it’s become the nemesis of the new and improved mission.

When fear is the driver, you need to listen; listen to your soul, and quiet your ego. You could pivot, you could change or evolve, but to what cost? What is the true cost? Nothing is worth sacrificing culture, values, morals, and forsaking the people at the center. 

Failure: The fact of the matter is that you can never be 100% on anything. Social Media shows us the beginning and often skips the middle to arrive at the glorious end: the victory. Rarely do we see the journey, the ups, and the downs, or understand the lived experiences. 

Failure can be an opportunity when you analyse and reflect on it. It’s ok to make mistakes, and it’s ok to fail. The important thing is to dust yourself down and try again. When your soul and your ego are vying for your attention, you need to make sure that you listen to your soul and don’t let your ego become the dominant voice. 

The more you know about what you don’t want, the closer you get to what you do want. 

‘The end is never the end. It’s always the beginning of something.’ Kate Lord Brown.