Does anyone recall the movie "The Replacements" and the infamous phrase uttered by quarterback  Shane Falco  played by Keanu Reeves?  The movie's plot develops around an NFL strike and the call to action of a cast of football "has beens" seeking redemption, at least temporarily.  In a moment of desperation, Falco calls his team into a huddle and motivates them to a moment of greatness with those immortal words that ultimately transcend any gender bias to touch the hearts, and souls, of all who have tried something, tried anything, and failed: CHICKS DIG SCARS.

The movie teaches us that most people have a greater respect for adversity overcome than for financial success.  We love a story about personal setbacks that ultimately, often unexpectedly, blossom into greatness.  The word greatness describes personal attributes, not money, not possessions. 

Shane Falco represents the enduring trait of the human condition to transcend, to improve, to seek redemption.  When it comes down to situations that we fear, the battle is waged within us. 

We prefer the company of those who aren't afraid to face their fears, to seek greatness in life or in business, to taste dirt only to stand again, weary but willing to fight, to struggle.  We admire people whose daily efforts are aptly described by adjectives like fearless, courageous, tenacious, persistent ... compassionate.  The world favors those fortunate few who are passionate in their pursuits, who don't think at all about a downside ... or about themselves, who don't care about a safety net or a comfort zone. 

Yes, this is a discussion about business ... and about life. An implication that the two are one and the same doesn't mean that you should work all the time.  It means that passion is fundamental to the human experience, which necessarily includes the career experience.  Anything that makes us better people, failures included, makes us better at business.  The same learning opportunities make us better spouses, parents, friends, neighbors, and citizens.

Don't confuse indifference for failure.  Indifference is a blight that restrains the human spirit.  In a sense, indifference properly describes failure because it implies a reluctance to engage fully, a fear of giving fully of oneself, an acceptance of the mundane.  In my mind, a career devoid of purpose, especially purpose as it relates to service to others, is a waste of time.

Tom Peters on indifference:  "Indifference makes you sloppy, sloppy in general. You can call it "studied indifference," or "purposeful indifference," or whatever you want, but if your goal is stupefaction on the job, it'll spread like a virus—even to home life."

Embrace failure as a necessary, not evil, aspect of your professional and personal life. 

Failure means:

• That you have challenged yourself.
• That you have set high standards in your life.
• That your have reached for a lofty goal.
  
• That you are human.
• That you're alive.
• That you have grown as a person.

Maya Angelou on failure: "I speak to the black experience, but I am always talking about the human condition ... about what we can endure, dream, fail at, and still survive."

Ann Petry on perseverance:  "But that's what makes you a writer, you keep writing until the noes become a yes.  Writers are the ones who keep writing after all the other folks quit."

Soren Kierkegaard on courage: "To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily.  To not dare is to lose oneself."

My challenge to you:  In the upcoming week, try to do something that you fear, something that you've failed at in the past, something that you desperately, perhaps secretly, want on your list of accomplishments, something that benefits others more than yourself.  It matters not that you're successful; it matters only that you've overcome fear and indifference. 

Send me an email to share the experience. 

Remember always: I'm your most fervent fan and will always be on the sidelines to applaud your efforts and encourage you to stand tall after you have fallen.