You Have To Try!

Beautiful Idiots Proverb #5: “He who failed… tried.”

I watched The Oscars a couple nights ago. Everything Everywhere All At Once won a whole lot of awards, including Best Supporting Actor, which went to Ke Huy Quan. I’ve been particularly moved by him this Oscars season. In his speech and anytime I saw him get interviewed he was so genuine, so grateful. In his speech he implored everyone watching to keep their dreams alive. He had almost given up on his after decades of not working, but support from his loved ones and persistence eventually led him to Hollywood’s biggest stage, and what looked to be an incredible moment of fulfillment.

Now, not everyone will be like Ke Huy Quan. Not every chase will have a movie quality ending. But everyone has dreams. I truly believe everyone has something inside they long to pursue. When you know what that thing is, the worst thing you can possibly do is… nothing.

To let your dreams die is to let your self die. Why ignore the thing that makes you feel most alive? In my experience, the thing that holds most people back is fear. A fear of the unknown, a fear of disappointment, a fear of failure. With all due respect, failure is a silly thing to be afraid of.

Anyone who has ever succeeded has failed first. There is no shame in failure! When you feel compelled to do or be something bigger, you owe it to yourself to try your very best. Even just the attempt will bring you closer to your full potential. The knowledge and experience gained will be invaluable. So don’t let your fear hold you back. You might succeed or you might fail, but at least you tried your best. You didn’t sell yourself short. You can be proud of that.

-J.P.