“We all make mistakes.  It’s what happens why you try.”    Barack Obama

This is my favorite quote of a turbulent week.  It rises above all politics and prose.  It, for me, is simply the truth.  The first sentence of Mr. Obama’s statement is hardly news.  His opine on the fact that we all make mistakes, however, is the crux of the matter for me.  It’s what hit home.   The fly in the ointment.

There is a sometimes troublesome mathematics to life.  The more we do one thing, the more another thing is likely to happen.  Yes, if I’m trying all the time; attempting, experimenting, engaging, I’ll sometimes be failing, stumbling, miscalculating.

I guess the big question is, is it worth the mistakes in order to try?  Is there an aspect of trying that is a process of elimination and learning?  And can that be okay?  Can I live with that?  Can I weather those storms?  Do I want to?

When I think about the many many times in my life when I’ve felt parallelized, I also think about my fears – fears of being judged or criticized or misunderstood or just plain wrong. My hands are getting sweaty as I write this so I know it’s true.   Staying still so that I don’t make a mistake has it’s virtues.  If I don’t move, I can’t make a mistake.  I’m a fan of safety!

I’m also a fan of meaning and purpose, however, and I’m not of fan of boredom.  So the ultimate question seems to be, how do I manage the risks of trying?  Step one: I decide if it’s worth it.  Yes.  Step two: Do I have a plan if my trying heads south? Yup. I’ll breathe and tap and pray and trust and learn from my mistakes so I can adjust my course for next time.  Step three: When I make a mistake, I’m prepared to sometimes be parallelized while I build the courage to try again.  Thus, I know I’m not a bad person when I get stuck (at least most of the time :”).  I know I was brave enough to move.

Okay.  Good to go.  Onward if not always upward.  But onward with a heart that tries.