Remove The Monuments To Failure In Your Life!

I come from a long line of visionaries. My ancestors from Prussia saw a future for their family in the United States, and risked it all to travel across the Atlantic ocean. My grandfather, an ambulance driver, started selling costume jewelry from the corner of a beauty parlor, and over the span of a decade or less, bought the building and most of the block on Main Street where the business resides today. My father saw a need for civil service in his community and ran for public office, going on to serve for nearly 35 years. I saw an opportunity to pour myself into young people’s lives and share a message of encouragement as they navigate their late teens and early 20’s, using my own story as a way to connect on the very human level of failure and redemption.

They say that every admirable trait cuts both ways. In my case, my 'visionary’ skill spills over into my physical possessions, and more than once, I have found myself drowning in a sea of best-made plans that have crumbled into piles of parts.

I like the challenge of fixing things and saving money. It makes me feel resourceful. Here’s the problem. I don’t really take the time to make these repairs, because a good number of my weekends are occupied with performance commitments, and at the end of most work days, I prefer to sit and visit with my wife and pet my dogs. Every time I enter my garage or work area, I see a dismantled radio or a pile of wires, and my anxiety ratchets up. They are monuments to failure in my life, and represent a “nice idea” in my life that isn’t practical for this season.

As my wife and I prepare to move to a new place this spring, we are in the midst of a purging season. As I bag up these spare parts and haul them away to the landfill, I feel a little better, and the task gets easier, day by day.

Do you have these monuments to failure? Are you holding onto old ideas, or are you able to clear out the mental clutter and make room for new challenges and opportunities?

I think this problem is more universal than most of us think. If you have struggled with this and would like to chat about it, get in touch!