“I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at the things that don’t .’ Bob Goff
This is one of those quotes that just intoxicates me with its wisdom. I chose it after being inspired by a conversation I shared with a friend a few days ago. Someone she knew had just nursed a loved one through the dying process, and moments before this person died, he looked at his family and said, ‘Oh no. I missed it, didn’t I?’ Apparently much of his life and many of his relationships had been lost due to his alcoholism. Although I have no more knowledge of the situation than what I have shared with you, I really have to wonder if his words might have been a reflection of the sentiments expressed in today’s quote.
In my many years of work with the dying I have listened to many grapple with the truth that they succeeded at what did not matter. It is a bitter legacy to embrace when our days grow short. Helping one who is dying try to make peace with this kind of revelation is the hardest part of my work …but getting to write about it here at Rx for the Soul counters this beautifully.
If you are reading this… there is still sand in your hourglass. Don’t be afraid of failing at the things that really matter to you… Be afraid of succeeding at the things that don’t.
When you view success and failure through the lense of today’s quote, how are you doing?