Something for nothing

We've all been there - we're psyched, our adrenaline pumped, eyes peeled on the board, and we roll the dice. More often that not, our hand is a bust, we end up losing, and have to witness someone else take their victory lap.Losing sucks. It's even worse when we fail after putting in a ton of effort, skill and passion. So why do we dust off, pick up, and keep going? Because, simply put -  to fail is to succeed.I recently wrote an article I thought was a slam dunk to be featured in a certain magazine. I spent days fine tuning and obsessing over it, knowing it was one of my better pieces. I even gave the "yes!" fist pump after my final edit and click of the send key. I felt a natural high - knowing I gave my best, and marinated in the sense of pride I felt in believing I kicked some personal-best ass.Minutes turned in to hours, which became days. After the shock and disbelief sunk in, I succumbed to the realization this publication wasn't going to happen. After all that work, and pre-celebratory dancing around my lap top, all I had to show for it was an empty in-box, filled with nothing.But was it all for nothing? Does not winning take away from the experience of just the fact that we're in the game?Taking what we can from every experience is sometimes easy to overlook. It's so important to remember that no matter how many times we forget the steps, miss a beat, or step on our own toes - the plain fact is - we're still out there dancing.I heard a familiar quote today, that had me sharing one of  my favorite inspirational videos. With over two million views, there's a chance you've already seen it. But it's worth another look just to remind us all to stay in the game.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6hz_s2XIAU&w=480&h=360]

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed" - Michael Jordon

.Here's the part where you tell me - how do you handle failure?.