The Flopping Pain of Failure And A Hippity-Hoppity Way to Bounce Forward

YIKES!

My fun in this Easter Bunny costume has some adults "terrified" and "horrified"! I know because they weren't afraid to type it on Facebook after a friend posted me as EB with her kids on my lap many years ago.

So, I apologize ahead of time if this photo happens to scare you! I had no idea until yesterday I could provoke such horror on a date outside of Halloween! Thankfully, my role was received well by the little ones at the time :)

All joking aside...

There's a story of awkwardness, joy, failure, and fear wrapped into this Rabbit Tale. You may find it inspirational--then again, you may find it terrifyingly uncomfortable!

Whatever response arises, this is a snapshot story about a resurrection (bouncing forward) as things fall apart around you.

For many people, it's the season of Easter and resurrection. Let it inspire us to work to do better, to rise and 'bounce forward' when life disappoints us, to renew ourselves. Let's choose to do more than be resilient (which is to bounce back). 

Ding Dong! One day, a friend and her daughter rang my bell and delivered an EB costume to my doorstep. Cast as the Easter Bunny without a need for an audition. I was set to entertain the neighborhood children (including my own).

I had so much fun I got the bright idea to take the 'show' to our community to create Photos With the Easter Bunny fundraiser for the Relay for Life on behalf of the American Cancer Society.

I was in the position of a few event chairs at the time. And Finding creative and challenging ways to fundraise is a passion of mine.

I headed to the Home Depot, purchased, and lugged three large planks of styrofoam siding to my van. These would serve as the walls of my imaginary bunny stage.

I added bright blue and pink spray paint for the walls, cut square holes as windows, added curtains and window boxes filled with flowers to give it a homey garden feel, and repurposed a faux-grass rug as the ground beneath my bunny feet.

To top off the imaginary scene, I placed plastic treat-filled eggs about.

All seemed to be going hippity-hoppity joyful...until it turned bitterly sour!

A local restaurant agreed to allow me to set up shop to fundraise. Unfortunately, on the day I arrived, the manager asked me to set up the stage in (of all places) the Bar Area--You know, where the taste of Whiskey Sour lives?

What parent wants to bring their kids to see good ol' EB in a location that may mean he's drunk? Oops.

With bunny whisker glue sliding off my cheeks and Easter eggs rolling under bar stools, this initial fundraiser can be chalked up about as much a flop as the ears on my costume.

It's one example of how often I've flopped, fLailed, and failed--all while looking a bit (or a lot) silly.

A feeling of failure on the inside can paralyze another shot at things and is a much more severe threat of consequence than a person's terrified experience with your looks.

Just when you think you've overcome fears of judgment and rejection because you dared to take action on a passion, failure can once again plague you with a shrinking tail between your legs response and exit off your stage---that is, if you don't do well to bounce forward!

My tail didn't fall off as my whiskers did that day, and I could walk away without shrinking. So, what was the hippity-hoppity way I bounced forward?

Once again, I had my professional theatre training background to thank. And that memory inspires me to create this H.O.P.P. framework to help you bounce better forward:

1) HOLD RESPONSIBILITY: Acknowledge your part in the flop (avoid blaming others). In my story, I could ask,  "Could I have planned this better so I didn't end up in a bar? If so, how?"

2) OWN YOUR CHARACTER: Regardless of location (Majestic Theatre or miserable basement--anywhere you land), your character is still your character. If integrity is a value, own it and demonstrate it, so others can trust you'll follow through with another plan if need be!

2) PREVENT UNNECESSARY DRAMA: It is a skill to adjust a situation's energy, tone, and pace where necessary, with or without a supporting cast. That is how the show can go on without unnecessary negative drama built in.

3) PLAN AHEAD WITH CONFIDENCE: A choice to say to yourself, "Next!" is a cue toward a new opportunity.

Now, that's a tidy way to say I had it all together! And that would be like a master of anything claiming there is no more growth or learning ahead. All things worthwhile require ongoing practice and up-level skills to adjust to new and unfamiliar dramatic situations.

When you feel like a flop due to a failed project or step with a passionate venture, and your tail is settling between your legs, consider choosing a resurrection mindset (bouncing forward) over a resilient response (bouncing back) to become a more opportunity-focused vs. a bit stronger version of yourself!

When you accept a new role and agree to up-level your responsibility in contribution, things may only sometimes work out the way you planned.

When you find yourself in a location that doesn't match where you imagined going, remember wherever you go, there your inner character lives. And it's your character that will determine how the show goes on and can help avoid excess drama.

You may never wear floppy rabbit ears or care if your whiskers fall out! And if your hair is falling out due to cancer, as it did with my sister-in-law, sometimes all you may need to feel more in control of fear of judgment is to say to yourself, "NEXT!" and proceed to shave your head! Whatever failure or fear you face, a resurrection mindset and the decision to bounce forward can prove most invigoratingly optimistic in addition to resilient, bounce-back survival strength.

The season has arrived to bounce forward! Schedule your call with me to create your version of resurrection and resilience in life, business, and relationships.