Let this be my public declaration:

“I have given myself permission to make mistakes with this website.”

When setting out on new territory in one’s life, many people become paralyzed by their fear of making a mistake. Instead of doing what they should do, they become like a deer frozen in an oncoming truck’s headlights, unable to move. My experiences in life have taught me again and again how vital it is to be comfortable with making a plethora of mistakes when one is first starting out at something, and then even more as one goes on. Why should blogging be any different?

Being a rather introspective person, my natural tendency is to assess the possible outcomes and ramifications of any course of action I take before I take it. To a certain point, this is always a good idea. One wouldn’t want to break someone’s arm, ignore a valuable opportunity, or challenge a rhinoceros to a fight to the death, for instance. These kinds of mental checks are necessary in society — ingrained into people as they learn and grow. However, there comes a point where the mental checker in one’s brain begins to paralyze them, filling them with worry if they allow it.

I once read a quote that went something like this:

“In the mind, there is a madman and a janitor. Both are essential for creativity. The problem happens when people let the janitor out first.”

This quote holds special significance to me because, being rather analytical to begin with, I have a tendency to let that janitor loose early. It’s something I’m making positive change on. Everyone is capable of great creativity if they would only keep the janitor away from their ideas for a little while. “Perchance to Dream” is the madman’s mantra. The janitor part of our minds tries to order and arrange the mess before the mess has a chance to be made in the first place. What the janitor doesn’t know is that messes are the stuff of creativity and critical for any kind of synthesization of a new idea. (By the way, if anyone can tell me who originally said that quote, I would greatly appreciate it.)

So don’t remain in front of the headlights because the deer will eventually be run over. Plunge in! Life is too short to look back on it someday and remember all of the chances one let slip by because of fear. Instead, sing the madman’s mantra:

“Fail more to succeed more!”