Defining Failure

"Because nothing is impossible, you have to dream big dreams; the bigger, the better.."  Michael Phelps

It's not secret - I am a huge Michael Phelps fan! The real question to ask is Why? Aside from the fact that I think he's an amazing swimmer, after reading his books, following his career and most recently watching him on tv at The Haney Project, I realize that he's a person I can relate to because we're wired in the same way - ambitious, competitive with a strong personal drive. Bottom line we both dream big, believe it, work at it and go for it! 

This week I'm being challenged to think about how I am wired, and why I am wired this way... 

I was raised in a family of high achievers whose resume' and names reads a who's who and what is what of Philippine politics and global excellence.  The bar is raised pretty high, just starting with my mother - Dr. Maria Teresa F. Calderon. In 1968,  Mom  was declared  by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Fastest Reader in the World reading at a rate of 80,000 words per minute with 100% comprehension and vocabulary. She was hailed all over the world, and featured in the Encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 19, 1971) and in numerous newspapers, magazines and academic journals since she established her world record. These days Mom is the Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Arellano University and still continues to run the Calderon Reading Workshop, Inc. and carries on her lifelong mission of making a difference in the life of all her students globally. 

Growing up in this environment of high achievers, I never once thought that this standard was not normal. Having dreams, setting your goals and working hard to achieve them is simply what you do in my family. Education is also a highly regarded pillar - it's not just about proficiency but excelling in everything that is thrown at you - dance, music, acting, drawing, painting, swimming, mainly excellence in both academic and creative pursuits.  But I know many friends who grew up in the similar fashion as me - maybe it's an "Asian" thing - when, no kidding, an A- is considered an Asian F... But I want to ask some questions to my friends to help me sort some of these things I'm processing this week, maybe this might give you a point of reflection as to why we dream big, , why we  do the things we do, why we constantly push to redefine the limits and why we believe that one person can truly change the world and that's our mission....

When you grow up in a family of high achievers what does it mean to be "ordinary" or mediocre? Does that equate as failure? Is failure even accepted as part of the process? Can the people around you embrace you in times of failure, and recognize that failure is part of the process towards success and an essential aspect of growth? When you are, like Michael Phelps, conditioned to be driven, competitive, with a strong work ethic to ensure nothing but success - what does it look like when you are not winning? What does life look like when you take the competition and expectation out?