Today we ask that you give yourself “permission to fail.”
This may sound very wrong to you.
Giving yourself “permission to fail” at something may sound like a guarantee of failure.
What about “manifestation”? What about setting goals, and focusing on success?
Giving yourself “permission to fail” will ruin all that, won’t it?
No, it will not. In fact, it will do the opposite.
Most of you do not believe that it is okay to fail at anything.
This is insane.
If children were born thinking it wasn’t okay to fail, they would never learn to walk or talk or do anything.
The fear of failure breeds paralysis, blockage, and physical and mental illness.
Most people past early childhood have this fear, to some extent. Often this fear increases with age. Failure is associated with trauma and shame, and humans are conditioned to avoid it at any cost.
In order for you to thrive, you must overcome your aversion to the experience of “failure.”
And that is why, for most of you, it is very healthy to grant yourself “permission to fail.”
Despite what the Critical Voice in your head may say about this, giving yourself “permission to fail” does not mean that you will fail.
It does not mean you will be a lazy slob who doesn’t accomplish anything.
Giving yourself “permission to fail” allows you to relax around what you are doing.
And it is this feeling of relaxation that creates space for true creative flow.
If you set out to achieve a goal in a state of terror of what will happen to you if you fail, in reality you are much more likely to experience the “failure” scenario. That is because you are being motivated in part by the fear of a negative outcome.
Giving yourself “permission to fail” removes this fear. It allows you to take action in a spirit of play, and enjoyment, knowing that you will be okay even if you “fail.”
Consider the moments of great “failure” in your life experience.
How would those experiences have been different if you had given yourself “permission to fail” ahead of time?
Can you see that “failure” experiences are much less traumatic, when you are not so terrified of them?
Counterintuitive as it may seem, giving yourself “permission to fail” at things will actually make you far more productive. You will be more relaxed around what you do, and that will increase flow.
Try it. Try it with something you are very stressed about, where failure seems unthinkable.
See what shifts when you give yourself “permission to fail.”
It is also very good to give other people “permission to fail.” In fact, it is often one of the greatest gifts you can give anyone.
The world would be a more compassionate place if people simply gave each other “permission to fail.”
When you set out to “manifest” something, it is good to affirm that you will be okay if you do not get what you want. This expresses a trust in the universe. Sometimes the things people desperately want really are not good for them. Sometimes things must wait for the right timing.
Give the universe “permission to fail.” Give God “permission to fail.”
This practice will, over time, redefine your beliefs about “failure” and “success.” You will be freed from the tyranny of the fear of failure. This will utterly transform your life.
wordfromthewell 