Reframing Failure

The reason why failure hurts so much is because we are so attached to a certain outcome. If you can allow yourself to let go of the attachment to how you think things should be, you allow yourself to open up to the perfection of what happens, no matter what that may be. In this meditation you are invited to let go of the pressure of striving for a perfect outcome, and to open your heart to curiosity and playfulness instead. Background music: Path to Serenity by Ajit Pramod Deshpande.

Transcript

How do you think about failure?

Do you think of it as something to be avoided at all costs?

Most of us do.

We seem to be living at a time when failure is not welcome.

But what would happen if we change the way we think about failure?

Perhaps we could try to see failure as a valuable learning experience instead of something to be ashamed of.

The reason why failure hurts so much is because we are so attached to a certain outcome.

If you can allow yourself to let go of the attachment to how you think things should be,

You allow yourself to open up to the perfection of what happens,

No matter what that may be.

Then you allow yourself the freedom to experience each moment with curiosity and a beginner's mind,

And you are able to discover a gem of wisdom in every situation.

When you are new to something,

You allow yourself,

At least for a short while,

To not have huge expectations about the outcome.

You allow yourself to be a beginner.

But as your skill grows,

You become more and more attached to a successful outcome,

And this adds a lot of pressure.

I would like to invite you to let go of this pressure,

This attachment to a perfect outcome.

Let go of your ideas around success.

You are already perfect in every way.

What if you could see your failures as valuable lessons that are helping you to evolve into the person that you are meant to become?

Let's do a breathing exercise together to help you release your attachment to how things should be.

With every inhale,

I would like you to imagine opening your heart to curiosity and playfulness.

With every exhale,

I would like you to release your attachment to how you think things should be.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in,

Opening your heart to new possibilities,

And slowly release your breath,

And with it all attachment.

Another slow,

Deep breath,

With an open heart.

Now slowly release the pain of your attachment.

And one last slow,

Deep breath,

And breathe slowly out,

Releasing what no longer serves you.

What if you could approach your goals playfully with curiosity and no expectations?

Don't avoid failure.

Don't avoid trying new things or challenging yourself.

Allow yourself the freedom to play.

Embrace the messiness of imperfect outcomes.

Invite yourself to feel enjoyment in your experiences,

Even if the outcome is not exactly as you had hoped for.

Allow yourself to fail in your allowing something more beautiful than you could have hoped for will emerge.

It may just take time for you to see it.

Reviews

That was a lovely experience, thankyou

Loved this!

Thank you for a helpful reframe of failure. I'm ready to welcome failure instead of always resisting it. Namaste!

Love it thank you

Love this! An important learning curve to accept that failure is just another part of our journey. Thank you