What I did after I failed.

I didn't listen to myself.  I was not confident.

These two things happened before I took the stage to speak a few months ago.

My speech was not authentic.  I didn't connect with the audience and I relied on my notes.  At the time, I thought it was the worst thing that could have happened.  Now, I'm seeing it as an opportunity.

Sure, for a few days I was running through what a disaster it was, listing out the many ways I had failed.



A Shift

Then I decided to shift my thinking.  I thought about how I had failed - but in a way that would be helpful to me.  I got the problem drilled down to two things.  I didn't listen to myself and I wasn't confident.

What does she mean, she didn't listen to herself, you are probably thinking.  I mean that I didn't take ownership over what I was about to present.  I didn't put myself into the presentation.

I was not confident.  I wanted so badly to give this speech perfectly.  I wanted it so much that I relied on my notes and not on authentically delivering a heart felt, honest, warts-and-all speech.

Moving forward

This failure taught me an invaluable lesson.  Actually, many lessons.  To listen to myself.  To be confident.  More than that, to be connected.  I lacked, through my own doing, a connection to the audience and to the individuals attending the speech.

I failed - but I also had an amazing opportunity to learn and move forward.

So of course i'm curious.......what do you do when you fail?  How do you keep moving forward?

Oh and by the way - I'm sure I will fail again.  In fact, I can almost guarantee it, since I plan on living honestly and authentically.  Along with that, comes failure because life is not meant to be perfect.  But........I know that after the dust settles, I will have an opportunity to learn.

In Joy,

Wendy

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