Have You Ever Really Wanted Something and FAILED?

Last updated on 13/08/2021

How did you react?

In the Celtic Wheel, Brigid (1st February) is associated with many things (new light dawning, putting our dreams out into the world, a sense of hope, SPRING) including getting what we want.

Not giving up on our dreams.

There are stories of Brigid somehow getting what she wanted in spite of the odds seeming to be stacked against her and all sides being happy enough with the outcome.

‘There’s no such thing as failure, only feedback‘

Keeping (in NLP terms) that ‘well formed outcome‘ in mind and adapting our approach as needed.

It’s not about DENYING the reality of not having succeeded in this particular way.

More about having the resilience to reassess, navigate the (ever changing) current reality and either trying again – taking the feedback on board – or adapting what we’re aiming for.

I cried (Happy Tears) when I saw that Stacey Abrams had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize on Monday.

No one would have blamed her if, due to voter suppression issues in Georgia losing her the Governor’s race in 2018, she’d slunk off to lick her wounds and simply give up on democracy.

Instead, her effort to get as many people who had the right to vote registered helped turn Georgia blue in November and January for the first time since the 1990s.

To see her (and others’) efforts being honoured feels really heartening.

And MAJORLY inspiring.

Journal prompts

Who else springs to mind for you when you think of someone who was open about something they wanted and not getting it for whatever reason.

It might have been asking someone out and being rejected.

Maybe sending a gazillion book proposals off and them being rejected.

Failing an exam (maybe several times).

Failing to climb a mountain or some other physical feat.

Not getting that dream job.

Failing to even get that far from dream job.

Something completely unrelated…

List everything you remember from your own resilience boosting repertoire of failures and also people you know, people you’ve heard of or read about (even fictional)…

What lessons do they and Stacey have to teach you this delightful new February?

How might you keep reminders of their inspirational qualities around you so when you feel disheartened (as is natural with any setback or failure), you take time to wallow and regroup AND remember that there might still be a way forward?

How can you get better at whatever it is you’ve been working towards?

How can you try again?

With love,