Recently, I attended a conference in Detroit, Michigan. The theme was Authenticity. When I signed up, I didn’t really notice the theme. I was looking for the time, place, cost, and what to wear. You know, the “important” stuff.
When I arrived, the conference was in full swing. Hundreds of people and almost all were strangers to me. But within the first hour, I felt totally at home. I was not exactly sure why, I just felt at home.
Now I know: I found my Tribe.
For two days, speaker after speaker talked about their success by sharing stories of their personal journey. I listened to a woman from Texas talk about her business success – and her biggest failure. She didn’t flinch, she didn’t bow her head and apologize. She said in a matter-of-fact tone, “My biggest failure so far is…”
Right there in the middle of hundreds of strangers, I had an “aha! moment” that changed my thinking — and perhaps my life. Failing is part of the process. And that’s ok.
Changing My Mindset
For my entire life I thought of failing as a horrible, shameful thing. My mantra used to be, “Failure is not an option!” It was a rally cry. And while it did motivate me for a brief time, it also kept me living small in certain areas of my life.
I decided to journal about failure. As I journaled, I remembered many of my failures. Most of them painful events that made me feel stupid and not good enough.
Now, I’m shifting my mindset to be, “Failure is an option — and that’s ok with me.” The difference is to learn from it and move on.
I left Detroit feeling inspired by the Tribe I met and listened to. I will live more authentically by embracing failure and playing bigger in all areas of my life.
Living an authentic life means being real, being truthful, being open, being vulnerable, and living with an open heart. I am embracing my successes and my failures.
How authentically are you living your life? Have you met your Tribe?
I invite you to share your stories in the comments below.