Sometimes we meet the most inspirational people in the most unlikely of places.  A very inspirational person I met recently is the farmer at a local farm at which I volunteer, his name is Farmer Dan.  It seems that every time I go to the farm he has says something that makes me stop what I am doing and really think about it.  The first inspirational thing he has ever said to me was: “Failure is an option, so long as you don’t end it there.”

           

            Upon hearing this I looked at Farmer Dan and thought, “I’m going to really enjoy being here.”  I took a moment to really let what he said sink in.  My first reaction was “failure should never be an option!”  Then I thought, “Even Einstein is quoted in saying how he never failure at making a light bulb, rather he just learned over a thousand ways how not to make one.”  Then I realize what Farmer Dan said goes beyond learning from one’s mistakes.  It is not enough to learn from one’s mistakes, but rather after making them one should go about to rectify the problem.  If I were to learn how to draw and after drawing an unsuccessful portrait I cannot just simply say “Well, I made a mistake.  Time to move and do something else, but realize that maybe I should not have drawn the eyes too closely.”  Instead I should think, “Now that I know what I did wrong let me try it again and not repeat the mistake I just made.”

 

            There is a subtle difference in the two ways of thinking, but it is a significant one.  I believe that people should fail at what they do, at least at first, because if they did everything perfectly what is motivating them to do better?  One should fail and use what he learned to try again and hopefully do better; if not, fail again and then try again.

 

            So whenever I am at the farm and I accidently make a mistake I always try and remember: “Everything will be alright.  Next time I am here will do better.”