you didn’t fail, you just didn’t shift.
and yes, there is a difference.
the definition of failing is “a weakness, especially in a person's character; a shortcoming.” and this definition is going to serve as the baseline for my point about why you shouldn’t conflate “not shifting” with failing.
not shifting is simply an outcome but failing is a judgment of self. when you say “i failed” OR you begin cycling through various thoughts that make you believe you’re incapable of shifting, you’re not just describing what happened but assigning meaning to it as well. you’re saying that something about you is lacking. that you did something wrong. that you’re not capable.
but that’s simply not true. you just didn’t shift. period.
nothing about that sentence implies weakness or that you’re incapable. it’s just a neutral observation of what occurred.
but the moment you label it as failure or treat it like failure, you turn a neutral experience into something personal. something that now feels like it reflects badly on who you are instead of just what happened.
and that’s why you’re disappointed each time. because in the back of your mind, you’re still treating the shift like something you’re incapable of getting. you still feel it’s above you in some way and that’s why you hold onto the shame of not making it. you don’t categorize it as a neutral “i didn’t shift” but a personal “i failed to shift.”
that disappointment is just the result of you processing not receiving something you pedestal—even when you “worked” for it. but i’m here to remind you that you as a person, as a soul, did not fail. you just didn’t shift… and that’s okay.
we have to stop equating these two things because it makes the entire process feel way more serious than it actually is. you already have every tool within you. you already shift with every decision you make. so holding onto these past attempts as an identity of failure just turns something that should be fluid and natural into something that feels like a test.
but you shifting is not a barometer for how capable you are. you’re not losing points every time it doesn’t happen. so don’t apply extra meaning to simple things. just say what happened.
“i didn’t shift last night.” and then move on.
and if you can’t do that without applying an identity of failure around it, i’d rather you not address it at all. work towards freeing yourself from the judgement. practice your self concept. speak LIFE into yourself. it will free you from a lot of pressure.
when you remove the weight, you stop making it harder than it needs to be. and shifting has no reason to be this hard.
persistence post for when it “doesn’t work”
