It really could be, but we’ll never know unless we try.

It’s too easy to play it safe. It’s too easy to go with the flow and maintain the status quo. That sucks. It’s boring. What fun is predictable living? Not much really, but unfortunately, the human animal is a creature of habit and too often we’re stuck in the routine, the grind, the minutiae of daily living.

Whatever the reason is, be it fear of failure, fear of success, the unknown, it’s so easy to get caught up in the nets of routine, and then rather than trying to break free just settle in to the mundane details of daily living. At some point in our lives all of us are faced with this reality, and it makes me think of the Charles Bukowski book title What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire. You can’t be alive and avoid the flames of failure, or maybe you can, but man, what a boring and unlived life that would be. Dead man walking.

I say get out there, and fail at lots of stuff, eventually you’ll learn what you’re good at. The magic, the absolutely golden moment, though, is finding that place where your success, and what you’re good at intersect. It’s there my friend, right there, that you’ll find your life’s work.

Or as a plaque in my grandfather’s office read: Don’t let the bastards grind you down. You can read more about the origin of the quote here. The funny thing about that is that I read that quote so many times through my childhood that I started to use it whenever people were in a bad spot, or a tough position. The earliest that I can remember using it was when I was 13 in my first band, and a friend was having trouble with his parents, and unable to make practice.

I don’t recall my father or my grandfather ever saying that quote to me, or around me, but I certainly remember that plaque that hung in my grandfather’s office. I would say that quote is as timely as ever now. It’s easier than ever to take a look around at unemployment, bankruptcies, home foreclosures, and think it’s someoneelse’s fault. Somebody else is to blame for my situation, or my predicament, but the only thing that we can control is ourselves, and to some extent our situation.

I believe that through attitude, and foresight we can create the trajectory for our life. If we want to be bummed out, rejected, and unhappy with what life gives us, we can, but we’re in charge of that. That’s not to say that this is about some kind of happy, happy, joy, joy affirmation perspective, but it is to say that if we want to ride the suck express, then all aboard, because there’s always room. However, it’s the hope train to tomorrow that’s going to get you off on the right foot and creating a trajectory that’s going to keep you moving forward towards life-enhancing opportunity and joy.

In fact, that’s one of the craziest things that I’ve noticed in life. When I start doing something, and I’m working at it, the endeavor takes on a life of its own. It becomes less about you and more about taking care of the thing that you’ve created. The first couple times I realized this it threw me, because I was on a trip and I wanted to get off. Sometimes, though, there’s no getting off. You have to ride the whole trip. Which, on the one hand, prevents you from beingwishy -washy with the things you build, but on the other hand a sort of synergy is created where the process of what you’re doing intersects with some kind of unseen energy, or current that just keeps flowing out from the thing you created.

The take-away is that if you want to put yourself on a positive life trajectory then be prepared to build something. Even through the tough times, don’t let the bastards grind you down, and eventually things will take off on their own.

Try everything and don’t be afraid to fail. That’s sort of been the mission statement of my life. No matter what amount of suck and inconvenience has been thrown my way, and no matter how many times I’ve had to alter the plan. When you’re building something that you want to succeed whether it’s a business, a band, or a book club, you have to keep evaluating, improving and most importantly moving with failure (and it’s avoidance) foremost in your mind.

Some people will tell you that failure is a state of mind, and you can’t even consider it. I think that’s crap. Imagine you’re running towards a cliff, but you’re in a state of great joy and optimism, wouldn’t you rather maintain your joy and optimism and avoid going over the cliff’s edge to your death? Hell, maybe some wouldn’t, but I would and you probably would, too. So I think that you have to be mindful of failure, and through evaluation and improvement you move away from failure. But to say failure is just a state of mind, and dismiss it, much like a lot of folks only want to hear the bright side of things, is just foolish… and yes ignorance is bliss, but when you’re out there trying to make a go of something you don’t have the luxury of ignorance because you’ve made a decision that you’re going for it, because the status quo just isn’t working for you. To that I say right on!