There is no success without failure

  

The other night, my husband and I had dinner at a friend’s home. The meal was incredible – we started with Foie Gras, then Pasta with garlic and oil, followed by rack of Lamb, salad and apple pie with ice cream for dessert. We rounded out the night with cheese and balsamic vinegar.  Each course also had a wine pairing.

After dinner, I indulged in a “ladies cigar” with our host.

That night, as I tried to sleep, my lamb was fighting with the duck that was obviously strangled by the pasta as it swam in the wine. As I tossed and turned, I started thinking. And, if “thinking too much” were a real ailment, I would be a victim.

I recently watched “A Cinderella Story” featuring Hillary Duff. My husband and I have criteria about movie themes – they can be fun, romantic, a mystery or even a good solid adventure film. However, we won’t watch a movie that is so darn complicated that it puts my already overloaded brain on Valium watch. (The Academy Award winning Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” was way too deep and depressing for me – frankly, we BOTH thought it one of the worst movies ever!) On occasion, “A Cinderella Story” is just my speed.

Getting back to Sleepless in Hawaii… I couldn’t stop thinking about “A Cinderella Story.” It’s not a tale of a girl who wants to be a princess. Instead, it’s a modern day version of the tale in which Cinderella’s dad leaves his wisdom for his daughter.

He says to her, “Never let the fear of striking out prevent you from playing the game.” Boy, do I like that – I REALLY like that.

So many people are “afraid to fail.” They walk through life thinking they can’t fail if they don’t try. However, my believe is if I fear failure and don't try, I cannot succeed."

Everyone loves success – the joy of feeling that you’ve achieved your goal. But I think Truman Capote said it best, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”

To fail at something is sad and uncomfortable, but to never try for fear of failure, is simply unacceptable. So, thank you, “A Cinderella Story,” for reminding me to tell everyone…

Come on. Get in the ballgame! Don’t be afraid of striking out! For every strike out, you are one step closer to a home run.

TJ

(I know, why am I even talking about baseball with my Red Sox out of the running? I’m either really committed to my blog, or just stupid. I’ll go with committed.)