Tonight I was faced with a choice. A decision between exciting social opportunity and curling back into my shell. A moment that presented itself as the dividing line between living in the moment and watching your life through the rear view mirror.

I was sitting at a bar outside Orlando, Florida, sandwiched in between two middle aged Midwestern dads, my bosses. Behind the bar was an astonishingly beautiful red head who had my attention from the second I sat down. All I wanted to do was sit, and talk with her, see where the conversation led. But this was trivia night, and we were sitting next to the speakers. I could tell the bosses weren’t enjoying the noise and it was impossible to hear anyone speak, especially the goddess behind those eighteen inches of oak.

We agreed to get a table outside with the rest of our co-working crew and I left my ambition on the bar stool. When dinner was finished and we returned to the hotel, I came downstairs to immediately record these thoughts. No sooner had I loaded the webpage when two of my coworkers appeared out of the elevator and invaded the tiny computer room I re-occupy now. They asked me to join them for more drinks and when I hesitated, one was already out the door with my wallet. Holding the threat of paying for their night out and my only access to a bed I caved again and left my ambition on the chair.

Live in the moment.

I’m sure we have all heard these words an uncountable number of times. Short, simple, concise. While the words may be simple, by no means are they easy to follow. In the previously described moments, I could feel my hearts pull towards the uncomfortable decision of staying at that bar. Regardless of the outcome, my soul wanted to know what would happen if I did something different, something I feared. I did not follow my ambition. I did not live in the moment.

Too often I find myself letting fear overpower my decisions. Everything within my heart and soul is pulling like huskies on a harness towards that uncomfortable choice. That choice that I fear, but I know will further my future self. But for some reason, I still find myself letting off the reigns and going the comfortable, conforming route instead. This is something I believe needs to change.

The first time you try anything, you are bad at it. Regardless of your natural talent or level of confidence, you will fail in some way or another. That is O.K. That is expected. The key is to build on your failures. You must treat each failure as a new learning experience. I failed at that bar, and again in the hotel, but now I know what to do the next time that moment presents itself. Seize it!

Don’t ever treat failure as something depressing, or an unbreakable barrier in your path to happiness or success. Failing is a healthy part of being a human. We must fail and get things wrong to learn how to get them right.

“If you get up one more time than you fall, you will make it through.”