The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure

Original Air Date: June 14, 2021

Failure.

A complete sentence. 

Is it a teacher 

Or a jailer? 

Is it a beginning 

Or does it end there? 

Where do you place your next step 

When the ground beneath you begins to erupt? 

Maybe if there was something to grasp, 

If it wasn’t so abrupt.

Perhaps if no one was watching, 

Not even me seeing me.

 Then this…

Failure

Would be easier to swallow. 

If self-criticism were a competition, 

I’d be a tough act to follow. 

Perfection.

Maybe it can serve as my protection. 

From any and all

Ridicule  

And rejection

And failure. 

There is fog on the glass of my reflection. 

I find the courage to wipe it, 

I shine back clearer. 

I need to reexamine my definition. 

A life without failure 

Actually sounds 

Kind of boring. 

Where would be the discovery? 

The intrigue? 

The lessons learned from walking through the fire 

And getting just a bit burnt. 

Realizing the nightmare scenes 

Are actually just branches of trees 

Scratching at my window.

Scary shadows revealed to be nothing. 

But it’s the confronting. 

The facing. 

The tasting the fear on your tongue 

And rather than deciding to run...

Moving forward. 

Moving toward that which I find to be frightening. 

Failure. 

It can be a beautiful teacher. 

Not gentle. 

But honest.  

Failure. 

Unexpected gifts found within if I’m willing to persist. 

To insist:

I know. I know. 

There is danger waiting. 

But I’d rather lose it all

Than die knowing 

I never even tried. 

I had all of these ideas

And just kept them shut inside. 

We get to decide when failure is an ending. 

A complete sentence. 

A teacher or 

A jailer. 

And when failure 

Is actually the greatest of all treasures. 

P.S. I hope you enjoy this week’s episode: ‘The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure.’

tomearl.me/giftsof

Listen to "The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure" on Spreaker.

The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure

Failure.

A complete sentence. 

Is it a teacher 

Or a jailer? 

Is it a beginning 

Or does it end there? 

Where do you place your next step 

When the ground beneath you begins to erupt? 

Maybe if there was something to grasp, 

If it wasn’t so abrupt.

Perhaps if no one was watching, 

Not even me seeing me.

 Then this…

Failure

Would be easier to swallow. 

If self-criticism were a competition, 

I’d be a tough act to follow. 

Perfection.

Maybe it can serve as my protection. 

From any and all

Ridicule  

And rejection

And failure. 

There is fog on the glass of my reflection. 

I find the courage to wipe it, 

I shine back clearer. 

I need to reexamine my definition. 

A life without failure 

Actually sounds 

Kind of boring. 

Where would be the discovery? 

The intrigue? 

The lessons learned from walking through the fire 

And getting just a bit burnt. 

Realizing the nightmare scenes 

Are actually just branches of trees 

Scratching at my window.

Scary shadows revealed to be nothing. 

But it’s the confronting. 

The facing. 

The tasting the fear on your tongue 

And rather than deciding to run...

Moving forward. 

Moving toward that which I find to be frightening. 

Failure. 

It can be a beautiful teacher. 

Not gentle. 

But honest.  

Failure. 

Unexpected gifts found within if I’m willing to persist. 

To insist:

I know. I know. 

There is danger waiting. 

But I’d rather lose it all

Than die knowing 

I never even tried. 

I had all of these ideas

And just kept them shut inside. 

We get to decide when failure is an ending. 

A complete sentence. 

A teacher or 

A jailer. 

And when failure 

Is actually the greatest of all treasures. 

P.S. I hope you enjoy this week’s episode: ‘The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure.’

Listen to "The Unexpected Gifts Of Failure" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

My Special Birthday Episode: Reflections, Vulnerability & Celebration

It is my birthday week! 

Each year, I dedicate a podcast episode to speak reflections out loud. 

To give sound to the inside, 

So that vibrations can become lessons learned.

Wisdom is earned, 

Creativity burns bright through consistency. 

To be here for another year is a blessing.

Take the risk and go for it, 

Or spend your 365th-day second-guessing. 

Accountability over blame. 

I’m grateful for the losses

and the gains. 

For the downwind ease

And the uphill pain. 

There is a release of worry,

When you can learn to taste the rain. 

Each misstep a new campfire story. 

The hurricane 

And the boring. 

Even amidst the turbulence 

Finding pockets of stillness. 

I give thanks 

For the new smiles shining with brilliance.

I see now I’m supposed to feel all of this. 

No hiding. 

Sadness.

Mourning.

And then in the morning.

There you are everywhere. 

In the air, 

Alive in our memories. 

Truly, 

It is a blessing. 

To be here for another year. 

InshAllah. 

Will you join me? 

In celebrating my birthday?

I’d like to request a gift. 

Will you share with me:

A memory. 

A story.

Of how we met, 

Of a time our lines crossed.

A moment we connected. 

It would mean the world to me. 

Thank you for being a part of my journey. 

Listen to "My Special Birthday Episode: Reflections, Vulnerability & Celebration" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

My Year of Grace Final Episode

On this week's episode, I reflect upon my year of grace. This is the last episode of 2019, therefore the last episode of the year of grace. Throughout this year, I've had the opportunity to ask some phenomenal people what grace means to them. Not only that, but I also got to hear responses from you sharing what you thought of when you heard my guests reflect upon what grace is. 

All throughout it, I've been journaling and reflecting upon what grace means to me. Here are the 5 things; here are my answers and my reflections upon what grace is. I also share some fun stories from my life and some inspiring stories I've gathered from throughout this past year. 

I hope you check it out! What lessons about grace have you learned this year? I love hearing from you via social media or email at tom@tomearl.com.

Listen to "My Year of Grace Final Episode" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.