Sunday Morning Special with Mr. Humanitarian May 21 2017 Jim Killon Happy Sunday morning folks, please sit back and enjoy today’s piece on “The Ironic Joys of Failure”.
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Sunday Morning Special with Mr. Humanitarian
Dear My Fellow Sunday Morning Warriors, Do you know what every one of us who are successful has in common? We all have failed. We have failed repeatedly, miserably and spectacularly at some of our most important projects. Whether we are business icons, entertainment idols or sports greats and yes, even humanitarians who just want to make the world a better place, we all have failed. I have failed so many times that there should be an award for it. Why do we fail (aside from the deliberate dive down the abyss of pure stupidity)? It is because we tried to do the impossible. Mediocrity, ordinary, status quo is death in a standing position. Those who are stagnated by fear get in the way of us who swallow that same fear, grab onto our shaking knees and decide our purpose in life is too important to us to not attempt an accomplishment just
because it has never been done before. We get out there, we attempt the impossible, we roar with confidence, then we fail. People laugh with an “I told you so” taunt that we do not hear because we are out there ready to do it again. This time with a deeper confidence, armed with the knowledge that we are closer to success because we now know what didn’t work. While others would be embarrassed, we wear our failures as a badge of honor. The only way to fail spectacularly is to attempt spectacular things. Humanitarians are dotted all over Peru and the world, failing their hearts out, struggling with programs that people reject, organizing fundraisers that too few contribute to and reaching out to the impoverished with a fraction of the support that they know is actually needed. For those of us who know what we started with- passion and absolute determination- will be finished successfully in the same light, we literally fail our way into success. That success equates to people who will be lifted out of destitution, despair and their crushed human spirits restored. The ultimate victory justifies the multiple failures it took to get there. The next time, success comes much easier. Then we reach for the next impossibility, failing our way to success again. If it was easy everybody would have a gold medal, an Oscar and be on the covers of magazines. Only the very special people, the tenacious, those whose hearts are tried and tested with every imaginable tribulation ever reach their goals. In the case of humanitarians, we know people are counting on us to find solutions for the challenges that may quite literally destroy them, their families and villages in time. Let me share a little story about doing what was thought to be impossible. I came to Peru in 2009, with all great, albeit naive, intentions to reach impoverished children. I did not speak Spanish. The NGO that I offered to work with was “less than what they claimed to be”; I was getting bum steers and bad advice from every direction. When I said I wanted to develop my own NGO for poor children, by people’s reaction, you would have thought I said I wanted to raise unicorns. People warned me, pleaded with me and threatened me to abandon my crazy idea. I dove in headfirst and failed initially. I readjusted my focus, fixed what was broken, pulled myself together, jettisoned selfdoubt and tried again. I would like to tell you that I succeeded incredibly, but I failed again. People reminded me that what I had in mind was impossible, especially for me. My mother told me I had a head like a box of rocks which is probably what saved me and my project.
(Photo: Jim Killon/Facebook) Fast forward to 2017, Changes for New Hope has reached over 3000 children. We have received over eight tons of school materials, clothing, recreational games and toys, vitamins and antiparasite medicine for everybody we meet with. A successful and ubiquitous Haz lo Correcto-Do the Right Thing initiative is influencing hearts and minds. As of June, we will have our seventh art exhibition. We have done magic shows, chess tournaments, speaking engagements and we have raised awareness around the world. Our newest impossible endeavor, The Changes for New Hope Humanitarian Awards Magazine is sharing the stories and projects of those who also failed spectacularly while attempting the impossible and succeeded. Intrinsically, my personal growth has become something I could never have imagined if I had stayed in my little office in Baltimore doing my safe nine to five job. This is living large, living deliberately. This is what is possible to you, for you and with you. Failures don’t show your weakness because weak people don’t have failures. Nobody fails to do the same, dry, safe routine day after day from a cubicle. You have to get out there and fail, spectacularly over and over until success is your only option left. Take the leap, grow your wings on the way down. Be who you always dreamed of becoming. That is all for today friends…until next time, Jim To learn more about my project and visit our website www.changesfornewhope.org Also look for our latest issue of our e-magazine.