The Admission Price

Later today, I'll be giving a talk to a group of young professionals. I couldn't be more excited. Also, I couldn't be more scared. This is my paradox with public speaking. It's simultaneously my greatest joy and my greatest fear. I could eliminate the fear, but it would require me to remove the joy. Or I can have the joy and keep the fear. See the dilemma?

"Comfort is the enemy of progress, and failure is the admission price to success."

This is one of my favorite parts of the talk. These words seem to strike others as much as they do me. It's a scary reality we all must face. We can have comfort.....if we're willing to give up progress. We can remove failure.....if we simply stop trying.

I love watching people fail. Not because I'm some type of weirdo (I don't think, anyway). I love watching people fail because it means they are trying to do something difficult, something that matters. When they fail, they aren't really failing. They are learning, growing, and moving the ball forward. It doesn't feel great, but that's why it's the admission price.

If I wanted to avoid failure today, I could have stayed home. There's zero chance I could embarrass myself or fall flat on my face if I just don't go. There's also zero chance I would make an impact.

Will I fall flat on my face? Will I make an impact? Will I perhaps do both? Stay tuned. I'll be sure to give you a full report soon. But enough about me. What about you? Where do you need to walk that tightrope of comfort and progress, failure and success? I know you know. It's the thing that lives just below the surface. Every now and then, it pops its head out. But it's really, really uncomfortable, so we push it back down. We know we should go for it, but life is simpler and more comfortable if we don't.

Whatever you do, I hope you decide to pay the admission price!