TRY AGAIN

While I was contemplating my baby son trying to catch a hanging toy, I noticed his unbelievable persistence. He didn’t catch it on the first try, neither on a second one, neither on the tenth. He tried at least for 5 minutes, until, against all odds, he really made it!

It got me think...

I suspect that we, as adults, try things fewer times. If it doesn’t work by the first try, or the second, maybe we’re better off giving up. We quickly prefer the calm and acceptance of the defeat rather than facing again the eventual pain of failure, plus the uncertainty, most suffered, of not knowing if we are going to make it or not. If it will or won’t end up well. Fearing what that could mean about ourselves. Wanting to close the pendency. To solve. To pack things up.

A baby doesn’t care about what we think of him, or his failures. A baby wants the toy, that’s all. He is not ashamed of himself because he fails in front of us. He also doesn’t have any false hope problems. He has not yet learned to sulk. All that makes him free to insist as many times as necessary. And even if he never makes it, he only gives up when “trying”, per se, loses the enjoyment.

I ask myself if such a shameless dose of resilience wouldn’t be useful. Free of ego stumbles. How many happy lives will remain to be fully lived, if we throw the towel by the second or third attempt, if we resign with less than we deserve... without seeing that maybe just around the corner, by the fourth or fifth attempt, we were going to make it, and we, by giving up in the middle of the path, are not able to enjoy the victory… what a waste!

Yes, I know that some falls hurt a lot, but... come on, don’t give up just yet. Wait a little, if you want, but after a while… allow yourself to dream again and... allow yourself to try again! Only give up definitely when “trying”, per se, really loses the fun…

Gonçalo Gil Mata