I still remember the day I stood in the Franklin Covey store looking at this sign. I was early in my photography business. I was scared. This sign hit me like a ton of bricks.
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
I’m not a heart surgeon. Failure does not mean a patient dying on my table. I was a wedding photographer, so failing if I missed a key shot is a big deal, but no one dies. (I’ve photographed well over 100 weddings, and I can count “missed” shots now on my fingers, it is that rare.)
This quote alone has opened a world of possibilities for me. It has given me permission to try, because when you face it head on? Failure isn’t that bad. Maybe a few days of being upset? Some lost money? But the potential gain from trying new things! Oh, it makes me giddy with possibility!
Money was tight when I saw that sign, and I left the store without it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it though, so I called them and had them hold it for me and I went back to purchase it the next day. Over 5 years have passed, and it is still visibly on display, and it makes me smile every time I read it.