FailureIsaGoodThingLastweek,mygranddaughterstartedkindergarten,and,asisconventional,Iwishedhersuccess.Iwaslying.WhatIactuallywishforherisfailure.Ibelieveinthepoweroffailure.Successisboring.Successisprovingthatyoucandosomethingthatyoualreadyknowyoucando,ordoingsomethingcorrectlythefirsttime,whichcanoftenbeaproblematicalvictory.First-timesuccessisusuallyafluke.First-timefailure,bycontrast,isexpected;itisthenaturalorderofthings.Failureishowwelearn.IhavebeentoldofanAfricanphrasedescribingagoodcookas"shewhohasbrokenmanypots."Ifyou'vespentenoughtimeinthekitchentohavebrokenalotofpots,probablyyouknowafairamountaboutcooking.Ioncehadalatedinnerwithagroupofchefs,andtheyspenttimecomparingknifewoundsandburnscars.Theyknewhowmuchcredibilitytheirfailuresgavethem.Iearnmylivingbywritingadailynewspapercolumn.EachweekIamawarethatonecolumnisgoingtobetheworstcolumnoftheweek.Idon'tsetouttowriteit;Itrymybesteveryday.Still,everyweek,onecolumnisinferiortotheothers,sometimesspectacularlyso.Ihavelearnedtocherishthatcolumn.AsuccessfulcolumnusuallymeansthatIamtreadingonfamiliarground,goingwiththetricksthatwork,preachingtothechoirordressinguppopularsentimentsinfancywords.Ofteninmyinferiorcolumns,IamtryingtopulloffsomethingI'veneverdonebefore,somethingI'mnotevensurecanbedone.Myyoungerdaughterisatrapezeartist.Shespentthreeyearsputtingtogetheranact.ShediditsuccessfullyforyearswiththeCirqueduSoleil.Therewasnoreasonforhertochangetheact—butshedidanyway.Shesaidshewasnolongerlearninganythingnewandshewasbored;andifshewasbored,therewasnopointinsubjectingherbodytoallthatstress.Soshechangedtheact.Sheriskedfailureandprofoundpublicembarrassmentinordertofeedhersoul.Andifshecandothat15feetintheair,weallshouldbeabletodoit.Mygranddaughterisaperfectionist,probablytoomuchofone.Shewillfeelherfailures,andIwillwanttocomforther.ButIwillalso,Ihope,remindherofwhatshelearned,andhowshecandowhateveritisbetternexttime.Iprobablywon'ttellherthatfailureisagoodthing,becausethat'snotalessonyoucanlearnwhenyou'refive.IhopeIcantellher,though,thatit'snottheendoftheworld.Indeed,withluck,itisthebeginning.
