Failure - a 'Little Thing'

Today I received a Daily Om regarding failure. Makes me think about what failure means to each one of us. Is failure not living up to your potential? Not using the gifts that were entrusted to you. If our lives really are perfect and things happen for a reason to progress each one of us on our own journey – does failure even exist? I believe failure is the reluctance to try. That is all. I know this. I am the product of this. I once had an astrologist tell me that I would never be a huge success because I have in my chart this ‘little thing’ that keeps me from completing my projects. (I refer back to that procrastination thing.) But, does what he say make it truth? I think not. I think that all these ‘little things’ that we come into this world with are our lessons to conquer. A doctor once told my brother when he was in his early 20’s that he wouldn’t live past the age of 35. He has a very rare disease. That was the day that my brother began truly living. Not because he was trying to beat death and squeeze in as much as possible, but to prove to the doctor that he had no right to place a time limit on his life. He is now 43 and living life to its fullest. I also made the same mistake as the doctor. I too had placed a time limit on my hopes, dreams and goals. I believed all of my young life that my success would be assured at the age of 35. As that day approached and then passed I began to believe that I was a failure. But, I also have thought about that fact that the ideals we hold when we are young truly are based upon inexperience. The past two years have changed me beyond measure. Looking back makes me chuckle and delight in my ignorance. (I can chuckle now; the process was no piece of cake.) The gifts I came into this world with are now fully ripened because of this process. It is time to let go of the tree and drop into uncertainty. I may or may not accomplish everything I set out to. However, I am willing to try. And, I am sure that as I tread the next path in this life, I will have detours and unknown distractions. I welcome them as well as any of those ‘little things’ that wear the disguise of failure.