I came across as someone who was driven to succeed. Many told me so. I thought that as well until I loved myself. Then, one day, I woke up to a spotlight shining on that belief, except the truth was a slight twist: I was driven to not fail.
Kamal wrote that in a powerful vignette he just published. And it punched me right in the face. In a good way.
I realized that a lot of my motivation, historically, has been not to fail. Everything was wrapped up in my ego. A lot still is.
I wondered, could something take its place? Could something else be as powerful a motivator? After all, fearing failure has given me a lot of mileage. Could there be an equally powerful, sustainable, and bottomless motivation that is more positive?
I thought about that and racked my brain for hours. Held on to hope there was something else I could tap into. Then, as I was drifting off into a delicious nap, it whacked me.
It’s so simple. It’s just like being ten years old on a bike again, exploring the vastness of my neighborhood for the first time and feeling absolute wonderment at the most mundane things, just because they were there.
So if not to not fail, why do it, then?
To explore.
To express love for and captivation with the world, for our potential, to see how far we can go.
To fly high, then higher still, because the sky is there, and we can.