Not Succeeding

This past weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot in a newly finished custom home—one which was being featured in a Parade of Homes. This opportunity would have been a free project, wherein the builder got photos for his website and/or other circulars, and my wife got experience and raw shots for her portfolio.

I say "would have" because it didn't pan out. As the unofficial business mind behind her new artistic venture, I had to juggle several different schedules. I had to account for drive time, avoid the Parade crowd, find a time when the builder could be there, remember Father's Day, and do it within the only three days my wife is available this month. I set it for Saturday morning, and even left an opening to get to a local car show later that day.

The one person whom I forgot to inform turned out to be the problem. I assumed my mom would be on hand to watch my son. As it turns out, she actually had a business meeting. Usually, I can find a way around any obstacle in scheduling, but it was too short-notice.

Having invested myself emotionally into making this happen for her, it wasn't easy for me to let it go. Nobody likes failure, especially when the failure is due to a mishap like a schedule conflict.

But the point here is not that I failed to make it happen, but that I stuck my neck out in the first place. I put myself in a position where it might have failed, and I handled the failure, I think, professionally.

Succeeding comes from doing what is uncomfortable, facing fears, and perhaps asking for something you don't feel you deserve from someone who has no reason to give it to you. You might fail as the result of a "no," or you might fail as the result of mismanaging the schedule, but as long as you keep pushing your comfort zone, you will make headway.

FEATURED MEDIA: Run, Fatboy, Run - Having given into his fear of commitment five years prior, Dennis Doyle seeks to win back the woman he left at the altar by competing in a 26 mile marathon against her new boyfriend (among others). Being desperately out of shape, his only realistic goal is just to finish the race. He may not win the race, but perhaps there is redemption in the attempt.