This question shows up in many different forms.
What would you do if you:
Knew you couldn’t fail?
Had all the money you need?
Had Perfect health?
Had Physical Strength?
Had Incredible intelligence?
etc..
For the past few weeks this question has been rolling around in my head. One of the thoughts that kept popping into my mind was “But failure is possible”. As thought provoking as the question is, reality is reality. I can do everything perfectly and still fail.
So I came to an awareness on how to approach the question:
Even Though Failure Is A Possibility. What Would You Do If You Believed You Couldn’t Fail?
Wording the question this way makes it less about outcome, and more about Choice.
Outcomes are affected by so many things external to us that its hard to gauge how things will turn out. But Choice is totally in our control. It’s the only thing we truly have.
But even with that awareness the answer is not complete.
I asked a few people what they would do. Answers that I got.
Buy a lottery ticket.
Retire and buy real-estate.
Travel to…
Climb…
Jump out of…
Sit at home do nothing.
Get a degree in…
Become a…
Some answers were growth oriented others were life wasting oriented. But still it didn’t sit right.
Then yesterday while playing squash the answer hit me (no I didn’t get hit with the ball).
In answer to the question:
Even Though Failure Is A Possibility. What Would I Do If You Believed I Couldn’t Fail?
My choice for that moment was “Win this squash match”
And guess what?
I continued to play badly.
Why wasn’t I winning now?
Why wasn’t I playing better?
The answer was twofold:
1. I didn’t change anything else except my intention.
2. In my mind “If I Was Guaranteed To Win” where would the fulfillment be.
And then the answer that had been evading my finally surfaced.
Even Though Failure Is A Possibility. What Would I Do If You Believed I Couldn’t Fail?
I WOULD CHOOSE TO GIVE IT MY ALL. I WOULD CHOOSE TO CULTIVATE MY BEST…
At that moment the game changed, I started to win.
Instead of just having intention, I directed my awareness to the skills and strength that I have, I compensated for my weaknesses and adapted my game. I put myself into the moment. I did my best.
And in the end… I Lost
3 games to 2 games. Final game lost by two points.
And you know what? I felt great.
Outcomes are not in you control, but you choice to cultivate your best is.
What will you do?
