Because many of us have a rather strong aversion to failure, we’ve done our best to avoid it. Unfortunately, the most reliable way to side step failure is to play small. We do it in how we present ourselves to the world, in our careers and businesses and in our intimate relationships. But eventually we realize that protecting ourselves from failure only keeps things unfulfilling and predictable.

I did it. And I got very good at being average. I only skied the bunny slopes, took unchallenging classes in school, and dated down. It was a good plan, until it wasn’t anymore. Ultimately there’s no real glory in the wins when you already know you can do it without really trying. It’s like winning a game of chess against your cat.

If you can relate, consider doing it differently. Dare to suck. Become a little more courageous and a bit experimental. By giving yourself permission to fail, you actually give yourself permission to soar. We just don’t know it until we try!