the value of failure
As humans, the concept of failure is engrained into our minds as early as we can walk.
But we're not born this way.
Just as headlands surrender to the ocean, falling to become sand,
we are born with infinite potential,
but through time are taught to believe that we are small.
My brother (Josh) and I - late 90’s
Life begins as an open road, and as we move through time and space we seem to collect
or inherit limiting beliefs about our selves and the world. The road becomes congested
and suddenly it feels like we can't we can't get to where we are going.
In order to clear the path and begin moving towards our potential,
we have to take an honest look at the beliefs we have chosen to carry.
To understand with compassion, that the ideas imposed onto us by others,
are only what others hold to be true for themselves.
To remove these limitation, we have to become aware of which beliefs we've collected from without,
and return to the beliefs we hold deeply within.
To a truth, that has always been there.
You have infinite potential within you (yes you).
Understand that everything created in this world, once existed as thought.
That is your potential as a human being and why it is so important to cleanse your mind
from the limiting beliefs we may carry.
Understand that your thoughts create your reality.
That's how this thing works. Your mind is a garden, clear the weeds.
The problem is, we misinterpret failure.
Failure is defined literally, as a lack of success.
Through our education systems, modern humans have been taught to measure progress by pass/fail.
But our growth isn't linear and incremental, its abstract and multi-directional.
What this does, is creates a fear of failure. After all, no one wants to fail the exam.
And most people move through life, feeling as though every decision is an examination.
The reality is, that we don't learn in black and white, pass and fail. We learn through experience.
There is value in every situation.
Sometimes you need to take two steps in the opposite direction, to find that the path ends.
But in doing so, nature will propel you forward to where your greatest opportunity awaits you.
The deepest ebb gives rise to the greatest flow.
In my solitude overseas, I felt isolated. But within this,
I grew deep gratitude for connection and community.
The third law states that for every action there is an equal or greater reaction.
And the reversed force of this solitude,
has become a period of the deepest connection I have felt to land and community within my life.
There's no way of knowing where the path lead. The most important thing is just to start.
Take a step in the direction that most excites you and trust that nature will correct your course.
You never lost anything that wasn’t meant for you.
Trust the timing of your life, what is meant for you wont pass you by.
Sam - Siberut, March 2023
In early 2023, once during an adventure to the Mentawai Islands
to learn about the spiritual philosophy of its native tribe,
a close friend told me “failure doesn't exist, your just living man” - Sam Corlett
What i've discovered recently,
through personal experience and the help of mentors, is a more natural flow of life.
By adapting how we move through the world with intention, we can begin to flow with it.
To surf the wave of life's natural ebb and flow.
I read an article recently that defined failure as “giving up on your purpose”.
If you have ever struggled to define your 'purpose in life',
that is because it was never meant to be defined.
A 'sense of purpose' is a powerful and necessary thing,
but what I have come to understand through time,
is that what we are really seeking through 'purpose',
is a feeling of alignment to what we hold meaningful.
If you are like me in nature, and chances are if your reading this entry we resonate to some degree,
then you are driven to create change in the world. That inner drive can move mountains,
but when you become more focused on the vision you hold,
rather than the reality that is naturally unfolding,
you misunderstand the universal flow and become blind to what is manifesting in your favour.
The problem lies in what we are aligning to.
If we attach importance to the things of the material world (to form),
we open ourselves to disappointment when the world inevitably changes.
The world is in a constant state of change, right down to the molecular level.
Understanding that we exist in a constant state of change,
allows us to loosen our grip on the outcomes of our lives.
We have to transcend the tangible elements of this world and expand into the truth of our existence,
in order to attract what is truly meant for us. Nature is energy and energy exists as frequency.
Beyond objects. Beyond achievements. Beyond physical appearance.
To create a deep and undying sense of purpose,
it's essential that we align ourselves to that which is formless.
By aligning your 'sense of purpose' to the underlying values you wish to embody
eg. honesty, compassion and creativity,
you create an inner compass that will guide you through the unavoidable ebbs and flows of life,
unattached to the physical world. This is where real power lies.
The ability to stay centred through any storm or wave of self doubt.
This is the difference of knowing when to cut your losses,
when an opportunity to embody your values presents itself.
The lesson here.. Be as you are and let the universe flow as it does.
Ubud, Bali - December 23
The entire universe and everything thing in it, including us, originated from a single source.
The amount of energy that exists past and present, remains the same.
Meaning, that life and all that it consists is just transformation of energy.
The atoms in your hands are billions of years old and have travelled light years for your creation.
The cosmos is within us. The wisdom of the universe is hidden within our cells.
Everything that ever was and could be, you hold within.
By reconnecting with our true nature, we can unlock our greatest potential.
So go, experience, take risks, be willing to fail because it is our nature to do so.
We are the expansion of universe and growth is found in new experience.
Allow your self to explore new ideas, places and people.
To wander, with deliberate unpredictability.
Because it's through the exploration of what doesn't align with us,
that we gain clarity on what we want from the world.
And more importantly, what the world wants from us.
