Even Though We Might Fail

I was flipping through Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Big Magic, looking for inspiration this morning for today's post. I have a lot of little post-its throughout the book, and I happened to flip to the one marking her discussion of fierce trust. She says on page 258: 

"Fierce trust demands that yo put forth the work anyhow, because fierce trust knows that the outcome does not matter.

The outcome cannot matter."

To distill the essence of what she says next, I would say that she is talking about doing no matter what because it is the doing, the creation that is what it is important to focus on. Because if we focus on the outcome we might give up. I suppose another way to say this is to keep moving, keep acting no matter what. Because, while sitting and breathing is useful, it is as important to act. 

Interestingly, on page 259, Gilbert asks not what would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail, but what would you do even if you knew you would? Sometimes we gain a lot of insight by changing perspective or turning things around. True, she is writing about the creative life, which most people think of as art, writing, music, dance, and the like. But she is also talking about living your life itself in a creative way. 

I would say the indigenous people of Ecuador who sued to the government to prevent the sale of oil and gas leases on their lands (and won) were operating on fierce trust and living creatively. As are the indigenous peoples in other parts of South America who are working to protect the forest around their homes, and in doing so, have found ways to partner with North Americans and Europeans to do this. (See John Perkins' book, Shapeshifter, for example.) The Native Americans gathered at Standing Rock and lost, but haven't given up. They haven't given up for 500 years.

The suffragettes who imagined being able to vote acted even though they might fail - and they did over and over until they didn't. Martin Luther King acted with fierce trust and vision. Fierce trust, though, is called for in individual lives as well as movements. Someone who changes jobs or occupations can be acting through fierce trust, even though the change might bring failure. Someone who moves across country or falls in love does the same.

Fierce trust is moving on down the road. Acting even though we might fail is moving down the road. Whether it's working at a business, at our art, finding healing for ourselves or others, it's all about continuing to move on down the road. I confess that I often don't see the end of the road. I do have a current worry about the possible slashing of Medicare and Social Security as having both of these has made a difference in my financial life. I am, however, attempting to cultivate a fierce trust that I will be fine. So, I keep moving forward even though I might fail. 

The first photograph is by Jungwoo Hong. The second is an image from my book, Opening the Heart: Meditations on How to Be. The third is by Kyle Glenn. The first and third photographs were found on unsplash.com





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