385: Someone Celebrates a Failure

I'm sorry I didn't get a Memo out to you yesterday, but I was still emotionally drained from watching the Pittsburgh Steelers (dare I say my Pittsburgh Steelers?) win Super Bowl XLIII.  The Steelers won with 35 seconds left in the game, and I lost my voice on several occasions. I needed a day to heal and recover.

As you may know, every year or so I declare a week to be what I have come to call Celebrate a Failure Week.  I try to help you think differently about failure leading up to the celebration and then urge you to examine your failures and celebrate them for what they are - great learning and growing experiences.

The other day I got a great email from someone who wrote me during the last failure celebration and I thought I would share with you (with her permission) the results of her celebration. Let's call our writer Tracy:

TRACY WROTE:

Dear Dr. John,
 
I just wanted to say how wonderful it is to be having a failure week! And how much it has helped me. I have been stressed senseless about exams I have coming up and more stressed about what a total and utter loser I would be if I failed them! I was petrified I would be in a dark deep hole for eternity hiding in shame. That's drastic I realize, but still how I felt until I realized that doing my exams was actually a result of something I had learned from a past failure.
 
I decided not to do my A Levels at the end of my O level year and go onto a college instead. To cut a long story short, I never got to finish the course and could not go onto University as I had never done my A Levels. I always kicked myself for it, and on my gap year here in England when I saw the opportunity to do my A Levels, I jumped at the chance and have been studying them at night. I have exams in 5 weeks and felt stressed witless, more out of the fear of failing than actually doing the exams. It was so bad at one stage that I actually thought I'd just give up while I was ahead and go home and not sit the exams. At least then I would have just given up but would not have to face the chance of failing.
 
Your failure week and writing on failure has really encouraged me, I'm now happy that I at least took the chance and can write my A Levels, regardless of whether I fail or not. Now at least I know I tried and I can stop asking myself, 'What if I had?'
 
So thank you and enjoy sunny Africa, I'll see you again soon, hopefully having passed my A Level exams! In the meantime, I'm really learning from failure week preparation!

PURPOSEQUEST WROTE:

Thanks, Tracy, for taking the time to write in the midst of exam prep. You won't fail.  Have faith, stay positive and go for it.  You're a smart girl.

TRACY WROTE BACK:

I am not sure if you remember me writing to you about your article on Failure week and how it encouraged me...and it still does!  I just wanted to update you on what happened with my exams. I passed them and applied to study Fine Art at the local university, which has one of the leading Fine Art degrees in Africa. They accept 35 students a year and had just under 1,000 applicants this year! I had to send them my portfolio, sit for two very long exams and attend two interviews, but I am happy to say that I will be starting my first day of lectures tomorrow!
 
I am very grateful to you for taking the time to write your thoughts for people to read, and am really appreciative for the encouragement it gave me when I was ready to pack it all in. I am now well on my way to living my dream and praise the Lord....I actually made it!

So what could you do if fear of failure wasn't paralyzing or hindering you?  Have a great week!

************************************
THE SOPHIA FUND:  This past week saw almost $1,000 come in for The Sophia  Fund. I depart for Kenya on February 11 (with a team of seven others) and want to invest the firstfruits from The Sophia Fund when I go (some of the money is designated and will go to Zimbabwe).  You can read about The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today!

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

BIBLE STUDY:  I promise to send out the third installment from my John Bible study tomorrow. It's been ready but I just haven't had a chance to sit down and send it! If you would like to check out the first two or subscribe to receive them as they are published, you can do both here. 

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 750 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.