The Inevitability of Failure

Edison’s light bulb story is so overtold, its message hardly resonates anymore. Have you heard? He didn’t get it wrong one thousand times, he found one thousand ways that weren’t right! Easy to say, once you’ve gotten it right, Edi. I joke, I joke. Because in truth I am a firm believer that “failure” is relative, and without risking, nothing great can be accomplished in the first place. Edison is certainly not the only one to preach the Sermon of Failure. Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers is a whole book about it. Well, it’s actually about success, but can’t help but compare accomplishments to setbacks. My personal conclusion thus far in life is this: failure is unavoidable, tis true. And our handling of life’s hurdles certainly affects whether or not we one day make it to the podium. The better you are at failing, the better you are at succeeding. Attempt more, fail more, but succeed more as well.

So, just for kicks, I’d like to outline failures in my life. There have certainly been successes along the way as well, I should say (so I don’t sound like a Negative Nancy). But why not admit to things that haven’t gone our way? In fact, a longer list of failures should almost certainly correspond to a long list of successes. Many many more belong on this list, but it’s a good start:

Events That Led To Unfortunate Outcomes

Failure #1: Rejected from the school talent show in kindergarden. Performance of “Taco Joe”, a piano song consisting of three chords, found to be inadequate.

Failure #2: Considered too young for competitive softball program. Demoted to “C” team.

Failure #3: Fifth grade boyfriend announces his desire to be just friends.

Failure #4: Inability to control Cheeto intake leads to adolescent weight gain.

Failure #5: Rejected from high school volleyball team due to height disadvantage.

Failure #6: High school softball team makes it to State, but gets Runner-up. Twice.

Failure #7: Christian music career shows signs that it might, but never quite does, take off.

Failure #8: L.A. record companies hesitate to sign due to “similarities to Avril and Michelle Branch”. Attempts to persuade otherwise fall upon tone deaf ears.

Failure #9: Received a horrible, cheap haircut from a street vendor on the Santa Monica Promenade.

Failure #10: Allowed myself to obsess over all of the above for far too long.

The Ocean or the Shore

New songs are always funny. They come unexpectedly, suddenly, and at odd hours. I woke up last Tuesday at 5:00a.m., sat down to learn Beyonce’s “All The Single Ladies” for my side project Acoustic Radio, and was instantly struck with the inspiration to write. The lyrics and music were completed in full by 5:36a.m., and I immediately began recording. The resulting song is below, using my first pass as the final version (with some backgrounds thrown in for good measure!). I find it much more meaningful to share the song as it was captured during its moment of creation than to rehash the thing to death, no?

Oh, and an important side note: After writing and sitting in admiration of my work, I realized that the concept of song was not completely my own. “The Ocean or the Shore” speaks of life’s many uncertainties, and it attempts to compare one’s journey into the unknown to the fact that we’re not sure if we’re walking toward the ocean or toward the shore. But, after my twelfth cup of coffee, I thought to myself, “I feel like I’ve heard something like this before”. Oh no! And then it struck me, so now a shout out is needed. My very talented friend Adrian Bourgeois sent me some demos of his new material a while back, and I believe it is a song called “Jonah” that uses a similar comparison. “I cannot tell if I am swimming to or from the shore” is, I think, how it goes. So Adrian, to copy is the highest form of flattery, yes? Well said, and I hope you don’t feel that you have been robbed and will not mind me sharing this unique insight with the world! And one final shout out. If it weren’t for “All the Single Ladies”, this song very well may not have existed. So, though I never could’ve imagined an occasion for me to say such a thing, thanks be to Beyonce!

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The Ocean or the Shore

By Paige Lewis 2010, Cry Holy Music (ASCAP)

I got a thing for the meantime

I got a knack for between time

I’m pretty cool with the great unknown

I can be fine with the unseen

I really like a good mystery

I’m pretty good with the great unknown

But I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know what they’re getting in for

I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know if they’re walking in toward

The ocean or the shore

I want to know where the past flies

I never said my goodbyes

Watching it drift way out of sight

I’ve never seen such a sunset

I’ve never felt such an upset

Watching it disappear tonight

But I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know what they’re getting in for

I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know if they’re walking in toward

The ocean or the shore

Raise my  hand I’ve got a question

Why aren’t there any answers

No signposts in the sand to point the way to land, no

I guess maybe that’s the lesson

There’s never any answers

I better be prepared to swim or stand

I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know what they’re getting in for

I never thought it’d be quite like this

Does anybody really know if they’re walking in toward

The ocean or the shore

I Am The Groundhog

I saw my shadow today, a day early. Actually, I saw my reflection. Or perhaps it was more like a projection. I don’t know what I saw, but it looked something like hope that the winter will end soon. It looked something like a promise that everything will be okay – that all we need to do to get through life’s uncertainties is to keep walking. It appeared to be something like encouragement to move forward across the frozen lake and trust the ice is stable enough to hold us. Then again, it also kind of looked like my shadow.

Hope in the land of the jobless

There’s a disturbing stillness that lurks after accomplishing any major task. The anticipation and the excitement leading to the big event seem to vanish instantly once it’s over. After graduating, this is somewhat the feeling that took over. What next? Where’s my assignment? I’d like a syllabus, please, outlining the rest of my life. No? Well then what am I going to do?

Change is stressful, there’s really no way around it. But I recently came across some great advice that has not only lifted me out of my unemployed state of self-doubt, but actually made me excited about just how many opportunities may be out there in the great unknown.

Sally Hogshead’s “Radical Careering – 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, And Your Life” (visit radicalcareering.com for info) has some amazing advice for anyone who feels a strong sense of purpose and an incurable drive to get the most out all aspects of life. One of the many entries that rang true for me was this:

“Radical Truth #85:

JUMP, AND A NET WILL APPEAR

I’ve repeated this to myself many a time. It’s impossible to be successful when you cling to obsolete situations out of fear. Only when you put yourself out there wholeheartedly can the best opportunities present themselves.

What’s your lifelong passion? If you’ve done your homework and decided what you want to do, then clearly and rationally start building your net. Please note: I’m not suggesting you jump before you’re ready. Just don’t not do it because you’re afraid.”

Paige here again. Good stuff, no? It really is important to keep jumping and to make sure that it’s not just on a trampoline.

Merry christmas

A very merry Christmas to all! I have officially kicked the college bucket, by the way, which makes this Christmas even more exciting…or terrifying…as I am now entering the real world that everyone has apparently been living in this whole time!

So merry Christmas to all! Eat plenty of dessert and have a glorious day

College Bucket List #9: Be Poetic. Write a Poem.

IF

If is not real.

If is useless to me.

If is invisible.

If is maybe, one day.

If is intention

But If is not action.

If does the dreaming

But with nothing to see.

If can be frightening

And If can be exciting.

But If is not real.

What is real is what Is.

College Bucket List #8: Make a Self-Portrait Out of Soap.

Let’s be honest. To exit college without having made a sculpture of myself out of soap would not exactly be a tragic event. But it just so happens that I was assigned to make a self portrait for my art direction class, and decided it worthy to share on the interwebz. Why not make it a bucket list item? It’s something every student should do before they graduate.