"of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: It might have been!"
John Greenleaf Whittier
I was dumbstruck when I first stumbled across this line. I had, until then, never heard this idea expressed so perfectly. Success isn't guaranteed. However, in failure you can console yourself with the knowledge that you tried. But what if you succeed? What if you do take the chance and find that you've achieved excellence, only to realize that you were completely wrong? The beautiful thing you thought you discovered was an illusion . . . a lie.
How do you comfort yourself when "it never was"?
The saddest are these: It might have been!"
John Greenleaf Whittier
I was dumbstruck when I first stumbled across this line. I had, until then, never heard this idea expressed so perfectly. Success isn't guaranteed. However, in failure you can console yourself with the knowledge that you tried. But what if you succeed? What if you do take the chance and find that you've achieved excellence, only to realize that you were completely wrong? The beautiful thing you thought you discovered was an illusion . . . a lie.
How do you comfort yourself when "it never was"?
My comfort comes from the fact that I tried. If you don't try, you can't complain. If you didn't try, and it happens, that's serendipity. If you try, and it happens, then that's success. If you try, and it doesn't happen, it wasn't meant to be. That's comfort.
[k]