Brave in the Attempt
“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
That’s the Special Olympics athlete oath. It’s two simple sentences that speak volumes.
Years ago I first heard this oath recited by a gathered group of competitors at the first Special Olympics event I ever volunteered for. Every one of those athletes was aware that they faced just as good a chance at losing their event as they did winning. Most of them would fail to take home the gold. But it wasn’t about the gold for those competitors. It was about being there, competing, and being brave.
It took me over a decade to fully process that lesson.
When I first started writing, all I wanted to do was tell great stories. At least tell the stories that I thought were great. So I wrote and I read. I tried to learn everything I could that would make me a better writer. This took me on adventures in life and around the world. It pushed me to submit, find publication, and even snag the occasional prize. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was fun…a good writing life.
But then, like so many writers, fear of failure crept in.
In our fear, we seek approval before we begin. We pour through books, listen to podcasts for hours on end, and consume every bit of advice available in the hopes of winning before we start. Failure…